Analysis of COVID-19 patients hospitalized in general wards and intensive care units: Insights from the RIMAC cardiopulmonary imaging registry across Latin American centers.

Objectives: This study aimed to compare various aspects among coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients admitted to general wards versus intensive care units (ICUs) in Latin American (LATAM), including demographics, comorbidities, imaging and laboratory findings, complications, treatments, and predictors of mortality. Materials and methods: Data from the LATAM cardiopulmonary imaging registry of hospitalized COVID-19 patients (RIMAC) were analyzed. RIMAC is a prospective observational study conducted from March to December 2020 across 12 tertiary centers in nine LATAM countries. Results: Out of 1,435 patients, 49.34% were admitted to general wards and 50.66% to ICUs. Significant differences were observed between the two groups. ICU patients had a higher incidence of comorbidities, elevated biomarker levels, and complications such as kidney and heart failure, and required more intensive treatments. They also showed more severe imaging findings and had longer hospital stays with higher mortality rates compared to ward patients. Conclusion: The study highlighted significant disparities between COVID-19 patients admitted to general wards and ICUs in LATAM. These disparities encompassed clinical severity, resource utilization, and mortality rates. Older age, obesity, extensive lung infiltrates, and kidney failure emerged as predictors of mortality. These findings underscore the need for tailored management strategies based on the severity of illness among COVID-19 patients in LATAM.