The significant impact of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on in-hospital mortality of elderly patients with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury: A retrospective observational study

BACKGROUND: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the main causes of death and disability among the elderly patient population. This study aimed to assess the predictors of in-hospital mortality of elderly patients with moderate to severe TBI who presented during the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. METHODS: In this retrospective analytical study, all elderly patients with moderate to severe TBI who were referred to our center between March 2nd, 2020 to August 1st, 2020 were investigated and compared against the TBI patients receiving treatment during the same time period within the year 2019. Patients were followed until discharge from the hospital or death. The demographic, clinical, radiological, and laboratory test data were evaluated. Data were analyzed using SPSS-21 software. FINDINGS: In this study, 359 elderly patients were evaluated (n = 162, Post-COVID-19). Fifty-four patients of the cohort had COVID-19 disease with a mortality rate was 33.3%. The patients with COVID-19 were 5.45 times more likely to expire before discharge (P < 0.001) than the TBI patients who were not COVID-19 positive. Other variables such as hypotension (OR, 4.57P < 0.001), hyperglycemia (OR, 2.39, P = 0.002), and use of anticoagulant drugs (OR, 2.41P = 0.001) were also associated with in-hospital death. According to the binary logistic regression analysis Age (OR, 1.72; 95% CI: 1.26–2.18; P = 0.033), Coronavirus infection (OR, 2.21; 95% CI: 1.83–2.92; P = 0.011) and Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) (OR, 3.11; 95% CI: 2.12–4.53; P < 0.001) were independent risk factors correlated with increased risk of in-hospital mortality of elderly patients with moderate to severe TBI. CONCLUSION: Our results showed that Coronavirus infection could increase the risk of in-hospital mortality of elderly patients with moderate to severe TBI significantly.