Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of COVID-19 in Turkish Patients with Hematological Malignancies
Open Access
- 24 February 2022
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Galenos Yayinevi in Turkish Journal of Haematology : Official Journal of Turkish Society of Haematology
- Vol. 39 (1), 43-54
- https://doi.org/10.4274/tjh.galenos.2021.2021.0287
Abstract
Objective: Patients with solid malignancies are more vulnerable to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection than the healthy population. The outcome of SARS-CoV-2 infection in highly immunosuppressed populations, such as in patients with hematological malignancies, is a point of interest. We aimed to analyze the symptoms, complications, intensive care unit admissions, and mortality rates of patients with hematological malignancies infected with SARS-CoV-2 in Turkey. Materials and Methods: In this multicenter study, we included 340 adult and pediatric patients diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 from March to November 2020. Diagnosis and status of primary disease, treatment schedules for hematological malignancies, time from last treatment, life expectancy related to the hematological disease, and comorbidities were recorded, together with data regarding symptoms, treatment, and outcome of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Results: Forty four patients were asymptomatic at diagnosis of SARSCoV-2 infection. Among symptomatic patients, fever, cough, and dyspnea were observed in 62.6%, 48.8%, and 41.8%, respectively. Sixtynine (20%) patients had mild SARS-CoV-2 disease, whereas moderate, severe, and critical disease was reported in 101 (29%), 71 (20%), and 55 (16%) patients, respectively. Of the entire cohort, 251 (73.8%) patients were hospitalized for SARS-CoV-2. Mortality related to SARS-CoV-2 infection was 26.5% in the entire cohort; this comprised 4.4% of those patients with mild disease, 12.4% of those with moderate disease, and 83% of those with severe or critical disease. Active hematological disease, lower life expectancy related to primary hematological disease, neutropenia at diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2, ICU admission, and first-line therapy used for coronavirus disease-2019 treatment were found to be related to higher mortality rates. Treatments with hydroxychloroquine alone or in combination with azithromycin were associated with a higher rate of mortality in comparison to favipiravir use. Conclusion: Patients with hematological malignancy infected with SARS-CoV-2 have an increased risk of severe disease and mortality.Keywords
This publication has 29 references indexed in Scilit:
- Favipiravir, an antiviral for COVID-19?Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, 2020
- COVID-19 outcomes in patients with hematologic diseaseBone Marrow Transplantation, 2020
- COVID-19 pandemic and impact on hematopoietic stem cell transplantationBone Marrow Transplantation, 2020
- Patients with Cancer Appear More Vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2: A Multicenter Study during the COVID-19 OutbreakCancer Discovery, 2020
- COVID-19 illness in native and immunosuppressed states: A clinical–therapeutic staging proposalThe Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation, 2020
- Diabetes and COVID‐19Journal of Diabetes, 2020
- Risk of COVID-19 for patients with cancerThe Lancet Oncology, 2020
- Cancer patients in SARS-CoV-2 infection: a nationwide analysis in ChinaThe Lancet Oncology, 2020
- Respiratory syncytial virus in hematopoietic cell transplant recipients and patients with hematologic malignanciesHaematologica, 2019
- Respiratory Virus Infections of the Stem Cell Transplant Recipient and the Hematologic Malignancy PatientInfectious Disease Clinics of North America, 2019