Causes and timing of death in critically ill COVID-19 patients

Excerpt

Mortality rate of critically ill COVID-19 patients is high, especially in those requiring invasive mechanical ventilation. However, the causes and the timing of death of patients admitted to the ICU for SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia have been poorly reported [1, 2]. Whether patients mainly die from refractory respiratory failure directly due to SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia or from sepsis as reported in non-COVID-19 ARDS patients [3] is unknown. Moreover, the increased risk of pulmonary embolism extensively described among COVID-19 patients together with the SARS-CoV-2-associated myocardial injuries [4] may expose critically ill COVID-19 patients to death from a cardiac origin [5]. Additionally, the increased intensity of thromboprophylaxis commonly used to prevent thrombotic events might also promote fatal hemorrhagic events. …