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. 2021 Jan-Mar;1(1):11-16.
doi: 10.1016/j.neurop.2021.03.002. Epub 2021 Mar 5.

Prevalence of neurological manifestations in COVID-19 and their association with mortality

C R Carlos  1 , M M Gerardo  2 , O G Jaime  1 , G H L Isauro  2 , A P J Dios  3 ; Neurosurgical Group; Nerosurgical Group
Affiliations

Prevalence of neurological manifestations in COVID-19 and their association with mortality

C R Carlos et al. Neurol Perspect. 2021 Jan-Mar.

Abstract
in English, Spanish

Introduction: Articles published in the literature report neurological manifestations or "complications" of SARS-CoV-2 infection and conclude that the different neurological manifestations are relatively similar, but with different frequencies. This study aimed to determine the frequency of neurological manifestations of COVID-19 and to identify which are associated with mortality.

Methods: We performed a retrospective study of all patients diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection by RT-PCR at Hospital 1° de Octubre, in Mexico, from the beginning of the pandemic to 22 December 2020. A total of 561 patients were identified, 370 of whom presented neurological manifestations.

Results: The global mortality rate was 37.8% (140/370), increasing to 92.4% among intubated patients (135/146). Of the 370 patients included, approximately 20% of neurological symptoms (headache, neurological impairment, anosmia, ageusia) accounted for 80% of cases of neurological manifestations.

Conclusions: At our hospital, 80% of the patients with neurological manifestations of COVID-19 presented headache, neurological impairment, ageusia, and/or anosmia. Neurological impairment at admission or before arriving at hospital was identified as a risk factor for mortality.

Introducción: Los artículos se han referido a manifestaciones neurológicas o «complicaciones» producidas por el SARS-CoV-2, concluyendo que las diferentes manifestaciones neurológicas han sido relativamente similares, pero con diferentes proporciones. Por ello, el objetivo de este estudio es cuantificar las manifestaciones neurológicas en COVID-19, e identificar cuál está asociada a la muerte.

Material y métodos: Se realizó un estudio retrospectivo con todos los pacientes del Hospital «1.° de Octubre» infectados por COVID-19, y detectados mediante RT-PCR, desde el inicio de la pandemia hasta el 22 de diciembre de 2020, donde se obtuvieron un total de 561 casos.

Resultados: La tasa de mortalidad global fue del 37,8% (140/370), mientras que para los pacientes intubados fue del 92,4% (135/146). De los 370 pacientes obtenidos, aproximadamente el 20% de las manifestaciones (cefalea, deterioro neurológico, anosmia, ageusia) ocurrieron con una frecuencia del 80% de manifestaciones neurológicas.

Conclusiones: Cefalea, afección neurológica, ageusia y anosmia representaron el 80% de las manifestaciones neurológicas en el Hospital «1.° de Octubre». El deterioro neurológico al ingreso al hospital o antes de llegar fue un factor de riesgo de muerte.

Keywords: COVID-19; Coronavirus; Mortality; Neurological manifestations; Prevalence; SARS-CoV-2.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Pareto diagram of neurological manifestations.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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