RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Clinical characteristics and outcomes among patients with COVID-19 JF Saudi Medical Journal JO Saudi Med J FD Prince Sultan Military Medical City SP 1013 OP 1019 DO 10.15537/smj.2022.43.9.20220343 VO 43 IS 9 A1 Khalifa, Aimen M. A1 Nouh, Fatimah A. A1 Elshaari, Farag A. YR 2022 UL http://smj.org.sa/content/43/9/1013.abstract AB Objectives: To describe the clinical characteristics and the contributing factors potentially associated with the poorer outcome in Libyan COVID-19 ICU patients.Methods: The present work is a retrospective, single-center study, which included 94 COVID-19 patients admitted to the Isolation Department at Marj Hospital from August 21st, 2020 till April 30th, 2021. The patients’ data, including their medical history, clinical manifestations, radiological imaging, and laboratory findings, were obtained from the hospital records.Results: A higher proportion of the admitted patients were males. The patients’ mean age was 68.29 ± 13.64. The patients came with varying symptoms, but most commonly they were affected by dyspnea, fever, cough, and fatigue. Diabetes was the most common underlying comorbidity; nonetheless, other chronic diseases like hypertension, cardiovascular disease, renal disease, and lung diseases individually affected a significant proportion of patients. Although there was no effect of gender on patients’ outcomes, age had a significant influence on the disease consequences.Conclusion: There was a strong effect of age on ICU admission and patients’ surviving the illness. Diabetes was the most common underlying comorbid disease in COVID-19 patients. On admission time, inflammatory markers such as CRP, D-dimer, serum ferritin, and LDH, in common, were the most important indicators of poorer prognosis. Male gender, comorbidity, and symptomology adversely affected the rate of admission but not the patient survival.