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Review
. 2022 May:81:100900.
doi: 10.1016/j.resmer.2022.100900. Epub 2022 Mar 3.

Characteristics and outcomes of COVID-19 patients with IPF: A multi-center retrospective study

Aykut Cilli  1 , Ismail Hanta  2 , Fatih Uzer  3 , Funda Coskun  4 , Can Sevinc  5 , Pelin Pınar Deniz  2 , Mehmet Parlak  3 , Ersoy Altunok  2 , Kemal Can Tertemiz  5 , Ahmet Ursavas  4
Affiliations
Review

Characteristics and outcomes of COVID-19 patients with IPF: A multi-center retrospective study

Aykut Cilli et al. Respir Med Res. 2022 May.

Abstract

Background: There are few data on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (COVID-19) infection in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The objective of this study is to describe the characteristics and outcomes of IPF patients confirmed COVID-19 infection.

Methods: In this retrospective, multi-center, cohort study, patients from 4 hospital medical records with known IPF and a COVID-19 diagnosis were identified. Demographic and clinical outcome data were abstracted through a review of electronic medical records.

Results: Records for 46 patients with IPF and COVID-19 were abstracted. The mean age was 65±10 years. The most common symptom was dyspnea, followed by fever and cough. Ground-glass opacities (n = 35, 83.3%) and consolidations (n = 11, 26.1%) were the main imaging features of the disease in thorax computed tomography (CT). Twenty-four patients (52.1%) required hospitalization. Among the hospitalized patients, 16 (66.6%) were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU), and 10 (41.6%) underwent invasive mechanical ventilation. Thirteen patients (28.2%) died of COVID-19 complications. Mortality rate was significantly associated with lower DLCO/VA, long term oxygen therapy and consolidation finding on CT of thorax (p<0.05). On multivariable analysis, neither factor was associated with hospitalization or mortality.

Conclusions: IPF patients represent a vulnerable population for COVID-19, according to the high rate of hospitalization, ICU requirement, and mortality rate. Measures to minimize the risk of COVID-19 infection remain key to protect IPF patients.

Keywords: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis; Interstitial lung disease; Outbreak; Pandemic; SARS-CoV-2.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest None.

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