Characteristics and Outcomes of 21 Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients in Washington State

jamanetwork.com March 19, 2020

This study represents the first description of critically ill patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 in the US.

Patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection (positive result by polymerase chain reaction testing of a nasopharyngeal sample) admitted to the ICU at Evergreen Hospital between February 20, 2020, and March 5, 2020.

A total of 21 cases were included.

These patients had a high rate of ARDS and a high risk of death, similar to published data from China.

However, this case series adds insight into the presentation and early outcomes in this population and demonstrates poor short-term outcomes among patients requiring mechanical ventilation.

It is unclear whether the high rate of cardiomyopathy in this case series reflects a direct cardiac complication of SARS-CoV-2 infection or resulted from overwhelming critical illness.

Others have described cardiomyopathy in COVID-19, and further research may better characterize this risk.