Background:

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has had a strong international and national impact. The Intensive Care Unit of the Dr. R.A. Calderón Guardia Hospital has received critically ill patients with COVID-19 since March 2020. The purpose of this study was to describe the main clinical and evolution characteristics of this population.

Methods:

This is a descriptive, observational study covering a 7-month period from March to September 2020. Information was taken from 2 ICU databases, one of which was designed for this purpose.

Results:

Information was collected from 120 patients, 91 (76%) male with a mean age of 60 years, mean mortality was similar for men and women standing at 52%. The population was primarily overweight or obese with an average body mass index of 31.3.

Eighty-one patients (67.5%) required mechanical ventilation and 72 patients (60%) developed acute renal failure. Mechanical ventilation increased the risk of death by 14.7 times and renal injury by 10.6 times. Approximately half of the patients developed at least one nosocomial infection.

Conclusion:

Severe SARS-CoV-2 infection has a high morbidity and mortality burden and is frequently associated with increased ventilatory requirements and renal failure. The latter two conditions significantly increase the risk of death.