The following is a summary of “Estimation of the effect of vaccination in critically ill COVID-19 patients, analysis using propensity score matching,” published in the February 2024 issue of Critical Care by Havaldar et al.
While vaccines effectively curb COVID-19 severity, their impact on critically ill patients experiencing breakthrough infections remains unclear.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study using propensity score matching to assess the impact of vaccination on ICU mortality in critically ill COVID-19 patients.
They examined patients admitted with unvaccinated and vaccinated COVID-19 criteria in the ICU (June 15, 2020, to December 31, 2021). Approval from the institutional ethics committee (IEC 08/2023, Clinical trial registry, India CTRI/2023/01/049142) was secured. The primary outcome was ICU mortality, with secondary outcomes being ICU stay length and mechanical ventilation duration. Multivariable logistic regression (MLR) and propensity score matching (PSM) were used for analysis.
The results showed 667 patients, 79.31% were unvaccinated, and 20.68% were vaccinated. The average age was 57.11 years (SD: 15.13), with 70.27% being male. ICU mortality was 56.60% (95% CI: 53.24–60%). Results from MLR and PSM indicated that vaccinated individuals had lower mortality rates [AOR using logistic regression: 0.52 (0.29, 0.94), and by propensity score matching: 0.83 (0.77, 0.91)].
Investigators concluded that vaccination significantly reduced ICU mortality in critically ill COVID-19 patients, highlighting its importance for general and high-risk populations.
Source: annalsofintensivecare.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s13613-024-01257-7