Yuan Yajun, Mao Junjie, Ou Xueqing, Huang Lili, Tu Qiuyun, Wang Nan
Department of Interventional Medicine, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital Sun Yat-sen University Zhuhai China.
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomedical Imaging, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital Sun Yat-sen University Zhuhai China.
Health Sci Rep. 2022 Apr 13;5(3):e560. doi: 10.1002/hsr2.560. eCollection 2022 May.
Globally, coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) is persistent in many countries and presents a major threat to public health. Critically, elderly individuals, especially those with underlying disease, poor nutritional and immune functions, are highly susceptible. Therefore, we analyzed the epidemiological features in elderly COVID-19 patients.
In total, 126 patients were recruited in the Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, China from January 2020 to March 2020 (including 103 confirmed COVID-19 patients and 23 elderly suspected cases). Epidemiological, demographic, clinical, laboratory, radiological, and treatment data were collected and analyzed. We assessed nutritional risks in elderly patients by calculating the Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI).
When compared with young patients, elderly patients were more likely to have underlying comorbidities and received nutritional support and intensive care unit treatment. Elderly patients had significantly lower levels of the following: lymphocyte percentages, red blood cell counts, hemoglobin levels, and serum albumin values. When compared with suspected COVID-19 elderly cases, elderly patients had significantly lower red blood cell counts and hemoglobin levels. The average GNRI of suspected cases and confirmed patients indicated no nutritional risk. There were no marked differences in GNRI values between groups.
Nutritional risk assessments may provide valuable information for predicting a COVID-19 prognosis, especially in elderly patients. Anemia prevention and management should be actively and timely provided. GNRI is a potentially prognostic factor for hospitalized elderly patients. Moreover, it is also important to follow up discharged patients for continuous nutritional observations.
在全球范围内，2019冠状病毒病（COVID-19）在许多国家持续存在，对公众健康构成重大威胁。至关重要的是，老年人，尤其是那些有基础疾病、营养和免疫功能较差的人，极易感染。因此，我们分析了老年COVID-19患者的流行病学特征。
2020年1月至2020年3月，中山大学附属第五医院共招募了126例患者（包括103例确诊的COVID-19患者和23例老年疑似病例）。收集并分析了流行病学、人口统计学、临床、实验室、放射学和治疗数据。我们通过计算老年营养风险指数（GNRI）评估老年患者的营养风险。
与年轻患者相比，老年患者更易患有基础合并症，且接受营养支持和重症监护病房治疗。老年患者的淋巴细胞百分比、红细胞计数、血红蛋白水平和血清白蛋白值显著较低。与COVID-19老年疑似病例相比，老年患者的红细胞计数和血红蛋白水平显著较低。疑似病例和确诊患者的平均GNRI表明无营养风险。各组间GNRI值无明显差异。
营养风险评估可为预测COVID-19预后提供有价值的信息，尤其是在老年患者中。应积极及时地进行贫血的预防和管理。GNRI是住院老年患者潜在的预后因素。此外，对出院患者进行持续营养观察随访也很重要。
