Background
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the scarcity of resources has necessitated triage of critical care for patients with the disease. In patients aged 65 years and older, triage decisions are regularly based on degree of frailty measured by the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS). However, the CFS could also be useful in patients younger than 65 years. We aimed to examine the association between CFS score and hospital mortality and between CFS score and admission to intensive care in adult patients of all ages with COVID-19 across Europe.
Methods
This analysis was part of the COVID Medication (COMET) study, an international, multicentre, retrospective observational cohort study in 63 hospitals in 11 countries in Europe. Eligible patients were aged 18 years and older, had been admitted to hospital, and either tested positive by PCR for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) or were judged to have a high clinical likelihood of having SARS-CoV-2 infection by the local COVID-19 expert team. CFS was used to assess level of frailty: fit (CFS1-3), mildly frail (CFS4-5), or frail (CFS6-9). The primary outcome was hospital mortality. The secondary outcome was admission to intensive care. Data were analysed using a multivariable binary logistic regression model adjusted for covariates (age, sex, number of drugs prescribed, and type of drug class as a proxy for comorbidities).
Findings
Between March 30 and July 15, 2020, 2434 patients (median age 68 years [IQR 55-77]; 1480 [61%] men, 954 [30%] women) had CFS scores available and were included in the analyses. In the total sample and in patients aged 65 years and older, frail patients and mildly frail patients had a significantly higher risk of hospital mortality than fit patients (total sample: CFS6-9 vs CFS1-3 odds ratio [OR] 2·71 [95% CI 2·04-3·60], p<0·0001 and CFS4-5 vs CFS1-3 OR 1·54 [1·16-2·06], p=0·0030; age ≥65 years: CFS6-9 vs CFS1-3 OR 2·90 [2·12-3·97], p<0·0001 and CFS4-5 vs CFS1-3 OR 1·64 [1·20-2·25], p=0·0020). In patients younger than 65 years, an increased hospital mortality risk was only observed in frail patients (CFS6-9 vs CFS1-3 OR 2·22 [1·08-4·57], p=0·030; CFS4-5 vs CFS1-3 OR 1·08 [0·48-2·39], p=0·86). Frail patients had a higher incidence of admission to intensive care than fit patients (CFS6-9 vs CFS1-3 OR 1·54 [1·21-1·97], p=0·0010), whereas mildly frail patients had a lower incidence than fit patients (CFS4-5 vs CFS1-3 OR 0·71 [0·55-0·92], p=0·0090). Among patients younger than 65 years, frail patients had an increased incidence of admission to intensive care (CFS6-9 vs CFS1-3 OR 2·96 [1·98-4·43], p<0·0001), whereas mildly frail patients had no significant difference in incidence compared with fit patients (CFS4-5 vs CFS1-3 OR 0·93 [0·63-1·38], p=0·72). Among patients aged 65 years and older, frail patients had no significant difference in the incidence of admission to intensive care compared with fit patients (CFS6-9 vs CFS1-3 OR 1·27 [0·92-1·75], p=0·14), whereas mildly frail patients had a lower incidence than fit patients (CFS4-5 vs CFS1-3 OR 0·66 [0·47-0·93], p=0·018).
Interpretation
The results of this study suggest that CFS score is a suitable risk marker for hospital mortality in adult patients with COVID-19. However, treatment decisions based on the CFS in patients younger than 65 years should be made with caution.
Funding
LOEY Foundation.
© 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license.
Overview publication
| Title | Association between Clinical Frailty Scale score and hospital mortality in adult patients with COVID-19 (COMET): an international, multicentre, retrospective, observational cohort study. |
| Date | March 1st, 2021 |
| Issue name | The lancet. Healthy longevity |
| Issue number | v2.3:e163-e170 |
| DOI | 10.1016/S2666-7568(21)00006-4 |
| Authors | |
| Info | COMET research team, Agnoletto LA, Aleman J, Andreassi S, Andrews LM, Ashfield L, Bell H, Bengaard A, Berlinghini SB, Bini KB, Bisoffi ZB, Blum KB, Boemaars E, Boni GB, Bosch TM, Bosma BE, Boutkourt F, Bufarini C, Bulsink A, Cabuk RC, Callens GC, Candela MC, Canonici MC, Capone EC, Carmo IC, Caruso FC, Chessa PC, Cohet GC, Cornelissen-Wesseling I, Crommentuijn K, de Stoppelaar FM, de Wit H, Deben DS, Derijks L, Di Carlo M, Diepstraten J, Dilek B, Duchek-Mann D, Ebbens MM, Ellerbroek LJ, Ezinga M, Falcao MF, Falcao FF, Fantini LF, Farinha HF, Filius P, Fitzhugh NJ, Fleming G, Forsthuber TF, Gambarelli GG, Gambera MG, García Yubero C, Getrouw Z, Ghazarian CN, Goodfellow N, Gorgas M, Grinta RG, Guda K, Haider DH, Hanley J, Heitzeneder KH, Hemminga WL, Hendriksen LC, Hilarius DL, Hogenhuis F, Hoogendoorn-de Graaf IC, Houlind M, Huebler M, Hurkens K, Janssen P, Jong E, Kappers M, Keijzers K, Kemogni MK, Kemper EM, Kranenburg RA, Krens LL, Le Grand JLG, Liang J, Lim S, Lindner NL, Loche EL, Lubich AL, Maat B, Maesano CM, Maiworm AM, Maragna M, Marchesini FM, Martignoni IM, Martini GM, Masini CM, Mc Menamin R, Mendes DM, Miarons M, Moorlag R, Müller MR, Nagele FN, Nemec KN, Oka GO, Otten-Helmers AG, Pagliarino SP, Pappalardo FP, Patel M, Peverini PM, Pieraccini FP, Platania E, Pons-Kerjean N, Portillo Horcajada L, Rametta GR, Rijo JR, Roelofsen EE, Roobol-Meuwese E, Rossi LR, Russel S, Safipour Z, Salaffi FS, Saleh L, Schimizzi A, Schols J, Schwap MS, Scott MG, Slijfer E, Slob E, Soares JS, Solano MS, Sombogaard F, Stemer GS, Tardella MT, Ter Horst P, Tessari RT, Tournoy J, van den Berg RB, Van der Linden L, van der Linden PD, van Dijk SC, Van Etten RW, van Haelst I, van Heuckelum M, van Kan H, van Nieuwkoop C, van Onzenoort H, van Wijngaarden P, Verdonk J, Verri F, Verstijnen J, Veyrier MV, Viegas EV, Visser LE, Vos A, Vromen M, Wierenga PC, Wong DR, Zenico CZ, Zuppini TZ |
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