The Effectiveness of National Early Warning Score, Quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment, Charlson Comorbidity Index, and Elixhauser Comorbidity Index Scores in Predicting Mortality Due to COVID-19 in Elderly Patients

• Published in: Curēus (Palo Alto, CA) CA), 2022-03, Vol.14 (3), p.e23012
• Main Authors: Akman, Canan, Bardakçı, Okan, Daş, Murat, Akdur, Gökhan, Akdur, Okhan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Clinical deterioration; Comorbidity; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Emergency Medicine; Family/General Practice; Mortality; Older people; Palliative Care; Vital signs
• ISSN: 2168-8184; 2168-8184
• DOI: 10.7759/cureus.23012

As the mortality rate in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients older than 65 years is considerable, evaluation of in-hospital mortality is crucial. This study aimed to evaluate in-hospital mortality in COVID-19 patients older than 65 years using the National Early Warning Score (NEWS), Quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (q-SOFA), Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), and Elixhauser Comorbidity Index (ECI). This retrospective study included data from 480 patients with confirmed COVID-19 and age over 65 years who were evaluated in a university emergency department in Turkey. Data from eligible but deceased COVID-19 patients was also included. NEWS, q-SOFA, CCI, and ECI scores were retrospectively calculated. All clinical data was accessed from the information management system of the hospital, retrieved, and analyzed. In-hospital mortality was seen in 169 patients (169/480). Low oxygen saturation, high C-reactive protein (CRP) and urea levels, and high q-SOFA and ECI scores helped us identify mortality in high-risk patients. A statistically significant difference was found in mortality estimation between q-SOFA and ECI (p