• SaidaImen BenIBMedical Intensive Care Unit, Farhat Hached University Hospital, Faculty of medicine, University of Sousse, 4000, Sousse, Tunisia.Research Laboratory N° LR12SP09, Heart Failure, Farhat Hached University Hospital, 4000, Sousse, Tunisia., Emna Ennouri, Rayane Nachi, Khaoula Meddeb, Jihene Mahmoud, Nesrine Thabet, Salma Jerbi, and Mohamed Boussarsar.
• Medical Intensive Care Unit, Farhat Hached University Hospital, Faculty of medicine, University of Sousse, 4000, Sousse, Tunisia.
• Pan Afr Med J. 2020 Jan 1; 35 (Suppl 2): 136.

IntroductionSARS-CoV-2 is an emerging health threat outbreak. It may cause severe viral pneumonia with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome requiring critical care. Aim: to describe clinical features and outcomes of critically ill patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection.Methodsit was a retrospective study carried out in the medical ICU of Farhat Hached teaching hospital between March 11 and May 7, 2020. All consecutive patients with RT-PCR confirmed COVID-19 were included. Clinical characteristics and outcomes were collected by reviewing medical records.Resultsduring the study period, 10 critically ill patients with COVID-19 were enrolled. Mean age, 51.8±6.3 years; 8(80%), male. The most common comorbidities were; diabetes mellitus, 6(60%), obesity 2(20%), chronic kidney disease 2(20%) and hypertension 1(10%). Mean SAPS II, 23.2±1.8. The mean arterial oxygen partial pressure to fractional inspired oxygen ratio at admission was 136.2±79.7. Noninvasive mechanical ventilation was used in 4(40%) patients and 7(70%) received invasive mechanical ventilation. Tidal volume and PEEP were set respectively within the median [IQR] of, 5.7[5.6-6.3]ml/Kg and 10.7[6.5-11.7]cm H2O. Plateau pressure was monitored in the median [IQR] of 27.9 [25.9-28.5] cm H2O. Four patients received hydroxychloroquine alone and five hydroxychloroquine associated with an antiviral. Five patients developed respectively hyperactive (n=2), hypoactive (n=2) and mixed delirium (n=1). Mortality rate was at 70%.Conclusionthis study demonstrated a particular profile of COVID-19 in the critically ill as a severe presentation in aged males with comorbidities presenting with an ARDS-like and neurological impairment with poor prognosis. The only survivals seem to have benefited from noninvasive ventilatory support.Copyright: Imen Ben Saida et al.

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