Immunosuppression variably impacts outcomes for patients hospitalized with COVID-19: A retrospective cohort study.

<h4>Background</h4>Adults with immunosuppression are more likely to develop severe COVID-19 than adults without immunosuppression. Less is known about differences in outcomes for adults with immunosuppression who are hospitalized with COVID-19.<h4>Methods</h4>A retrospective...

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Main Authors: Vijeeth Guggilla, Jennifer A Pacheco, Alexandre M Carvalho, Grant R Whitmer, Anna E Pawlowski, Jodi L Johnson, Catherine A Gao, Chad J Achenbach, Theresa L Walunas
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2025-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0330110
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author Vijeeth Guggilla
Jennifer A Pacheco
Alexandre M Carvalho
Grant R Whitmer
Anna E Pawlowski
Jodi L Johnson
Catherine A Gao
Chad J Achenbach
Theresa L Walunas
author_facet Vijeeth Guggilla
Jennifer A Pacheco
Alexandre M Carvalho
Grant R Whitmer
Anna E Pawlowski
Jodi L Johnson
Catherine A Gao
Chad J Achenbach
Theresa L Walunas
author_sort Vijeeth Guggilla
collection DOAJ
description <h4>Background</h4>Adults with immunosuppression are more likely to develop severe COVID-19 than adults without immunosuppression. Less is known about differences in outcomes for adults with immunosuppression who are hospitalized with COVID-19.<h4>Methods</h4>A retrospective cohort study of adults hospitalized with COVID-19 at Northwestern Medicine hospitals between 03/01/2020 and 05/31/2022 was performed. Regression analyses were performed comparing in-hospital mortality, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, oxygenation requirements, and hospital/ICU length of stay among patients without immunosuppression (n = 9079) and patients with immunosuppression (n = 873).<h4>Results</h4>Patients with immunosuppression had significantly higher mortality than patients without immunosuppression (OR: 1.33, 95% CI: 1.11-1.60). This effect was even stronger when controlling for age at admission, diabetes, obesity, SARS-CoV-2 variant era, and COVID-19 medication use (adjusted OR: 1.78, 95% CI: 1.46-2.16). ICU admission (adjusted OR: 1.64, 95% CI: 1.41-1.90) and invasive ventilation (adjusted OR: 1.68, 95% CI: 1.36-2.06) were also significantly higher in patients with immunosuppression. Hospitalization length (median: 7 days) and ICU length of stay (median: 2.5 days) were longer in patients with immunosuppression compared to patients without immunosuppression (median: 5 days, adjusted p < 0.001; median: 2 days, adjusted p = 0.04). Subgroup analyses showed that patients with solid organ transplant, HIV with low CD4 cell count, and secondary immunodeficiency had significantly higher adjusted mortality and ICU admission compared to patients without immunosuppression. Patients with solid organ transplant also had significantly higher invasive ventilation and ICU length of stay.<h4>Conclusions</h4>Patients with immunosuppression had worse outcomes than patients without immunosuppression. Subgroup analyses showed that patients with solid organ transplant had the worst outcomes overall. Patients with HIV had similar outcomes as patients without immunosuppression unless CD4 cell count was low.
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spelling doaj-art-fd9704201aec4083a8872ebd3c6911f92025-08-23T05:31:54ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032025-01-01208e033011010.1371/journal.pone.0330110Immunosuppression variably impacts outcomes for patients hospitalized with COVID-19: A retrospective cohort study.Vijeeth GuggillaJennifer A PachecoAlexandre M CarvalhoGrant R WhitmerAnna E PawlowskiJodi L JohnsonCatherine A GaoChad J AchenbachTheresa L Walunas<h4>Background</h4>Adults with immunosuppression are more likely to develop severe COVID-19 than adults without immunosuppression. Less is known about differences in outcomes for adults with immunosuppression who are hospitalized with COVID-19.<h4>Methods</h4>A retrospective cohort study of adults hospitalized with COVID-19 at Northwestern Medicine hospitals between 03/01/2020 and 05/31/2022 was performed. Regression analyses were performed comparing in-hospital mortality, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, oxygenation requirements, and hospital/ICU length of stay among patients without immunosuppression (n = 9079) and patients with immunosuppression (n = 873).<h4>Results</h4>Patients with immunosuppression had significantly higher mortality than patients without immunosuppression (OR: 1.33, 95% CI: 1.11-1.60). This effect was even stronger when controlling for age at admission, diabetes, obesity, SARS-CoV-2 variant era, and COVID-19 medication use (adjusted OR: 1.78, 95% CI: 1.46-2.16). ICU admission (adjusted OR: 1.64, 95% CI: 1.41-1.90) and invasive ventilation (adjusted OR: 1.68, 95% CI: 1.36-2.06) were also significantly higher in patients with immunosuppression. Hospitalization length (median: 7 days) and ICU length of stay (median: 2.5 days) were longer in patients with immunosuppression compared to patients without immunosuppression (median: 5 days, adjusted p < 0.001; median: 2 days, adjusted p = 0.04). Subgroup analyses showed that patients with solid organ transplant, HIV with low CD4 cell count, and secondary immunodeficiency had significantly higher adjusted mortality and ICU admission compared to patients without immunosuppression. Patients with solid organ transplant also had significantly higher invasive ventilation and ICU length of stay.<h4>Conclusions</h4>Patients with immunosuppression had worse outcomes than patients without immunosuppression. Subgroup analyses showed that patients with solid organ transplant had the worst outcomes overall. Patients with HIV had similar outcomes as patients without immunosuppression unless CD4 cell count was low.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0330110
spellingShingle Vijeeth Guggilla
Jennifer A Pacheco
Alexandre M Carvalho
Grant R Whitmer
Anna E Pawlowski
Jodi L Johnson
Catherine A Gao
Chad J Achenbach
Theresa L Walunas
Immunosuppression variably impacts outcomes for patients hospitalized with COVID-19: A retrospective cohort study.
PLoS ONE
title Immunosuppression variably impacts outcomes for patients hospitalized with COVID-19: A retrospective cohort study.
title_full Immunosuppression variably impacts outcomes for patients hospitalized with COVID-19: A retrospective cohort study.
title_fullStr Immunosuppression variably impacts outcomes for patients hospitalized with COVID-19: A retrospective cohort study.
title_full_unstemmed Immunosuppression variably impacts outcomes for patients hospitalized with COVID-19: A retrospective cohort study.
title_short Immunosuppression variably impacts outcomes for patients hospitalized with COVID-19: A retrospective cohort study.
title_sort immunosuppression variably impacts outcomes for patients hospitalized with covid 19 a retrospective cohort study
url https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0330110
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