Impact of Hemoglobin Levels on Composite Cardiac Arrest or Stroke Outcome in Patients With Respiratory Failure Due to COVID-19

Feng SN, Kelly TL, Fraser JF, Li Bassi G, Suen J, Zaaqoq A, Griffee MJ, Arora RC, White N, Whitman G, Robba C, Battaglini D, Cho SM; COVID-19 Critical Care Consortium (CCCC) Crit Care Explor. DOI 10.1097/CCE.0000000000001143

Objectives: Anemia has been associated with an increased risk of both cardiac arrest and stroke, frequent complications of COVID-19. The effect of hemoglobin level at ICU admission on a composite outcome of cardiac arrest or stroke in an international cohort of COVID-19 patients was investigated.

Design: Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected database.

Setting: A registry of COVID-19 patients admitted to ICUs at over 370 international sites was reviewed for patients diagnosed with cardiac arrest or stroke up to 30 days after ICU admission. Anemia was defined as: normal (hemoglobin ≥ 12.0 g/dL for women, ≥ 13.5 g/dL for men), mild (hemoglobin 10.0–11.9 g/dL for women, 10.0–13.4 g/dL for men), moderate (hemoglobin ≥ 8.0 and < 10.0 g/dL for women and men), and severe (hemoglobin < 8.0 g/dL for women and men).