2.1 Inclusion criteria
According to the diagnostic and classification criteria of the National
Institute of Health [NIH] Pakistan,14 following
criteria were used to enroll the patients admitted in the ICU of DHQ
Hospital, Faisalabad due to COVID-19 associated pneumonia:
- Age > 18 years.
- Patients who met the diagnostic criteria of NIH PakistanĀ for COVID-19
infection, which are as follows:
- Clinical manifestations including fever and pulmonary symptoms
(cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, and tightness).
- Radiological findings of consolidation, ground-glass opacities
(GGOs) either on chest X-ray or high-resolution computed tomography
(HRCT).
- Real-time fluorescent reverse transcription-polymerase chain
reaction (RT-PCR) of respiratory samples (nasal/oropharyngeal swab
or tracheal secretions) positive for SARS-CoV-2. The laboratory
confirmation of SARS-CoV-2 infection was carried out by the local
health department.