Long-term survival after intensive care for COVID-19: a nationwide cohort study of more than 8000 patients

BACKGROUND: Was it worth it—what is the outcome after the extended ICU (intensive care unit) length of stay for COVID-19 patients? Surprisingly, data on long-term mortality in large cohorts are lacking. We investigate long-term mortality including differences between men and women, as previous studies show that men generally suffer a more severe course of COVID-19 in terms of severity of illness and short-term mortality. METHODS: Nationwide cohort including all adult COVID-19 patients admitted to Swedish ICUs until August 12, 2022. Primary outcome was 360-day mortality after ICU admission. Logistic regression was used to estimate associations between demographics, comorbidities, clinical characteristics and mortality. RESULTS: In total, 8392 patients were included. Median (IQR) age was 63 (52–72) years and the majority (70.1%) were men. Among the 7390 patients with complete 360-day mortality data, 1775 (24.4%) patients died within 30 days, 2125 (28.8%) within 90 days and 2206 (29.8%) within 360 days from ICU admission. 360-day mortality was 27.1% in women and 31.0% in men. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed increased risk of 360-day mortality in men compared to women (OR: 1.33, 95% CI: 1.17–1.52). Other variables associated with poor 360-day mortality were age, cardiac disease, COPD/asthma, diabetes, immune deficiency, chronic kidney disease, neuromuscular disease, and malignancy. CONCLUSION: This study confirms the increased severity of disease in critically ill men with COVID-19, even in a long-term perspective. However, mortality beyond 90 days was strikingly low, indicating high probability of survival after the acute phase of illness. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13613-023-01156-3.