de la Rica, RobertoBorges Sa, MarcioAranda Perez, Mariadel Castillo Blanco, AlbertoSocias Mir, AntoniaPayeras Cifre, AntonioRialp, GemmaSocias Crespi, LorenzoMasmiquel Comas, LluisGonzalez-Freire, Marta2024-09-132024-09-132020-08De la Rica R, Borges Sa M, Aranda M, Del Castillo Blanco A, Socias Mir A, Payeras Cifre A, et al. Low Albumin Levels Are Associated with Poorer Outcomes in a Case Series of COVID-19 Patients in Spain: A Retrospective Cohort Study. Microorganisms. 2020 Aug;8(8):1106.http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.13003/9909https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12105/22982There is limited information available describing the clinical and epidemiological features of Spanish patients requiring hospitalization for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In this observational study, we aimed to describe the clinical characteristics and epidemiological features of severe (non-ICU) and critically patients (ICU) with COVID-19 at triage, prior to hospitalization. Forty-eight patients (27 non-ICU and 21 ICU) with positive severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection were analyzed (mean age, 66 years, [range, 33-88 years]; 67% males). There were no differences in age or sex among groups. Initial symptoms included fever (100%), coughing (85%), dyspnea (76%), diarrhea (42%) and asthenia (21%). ICU patients had a higher prevalence of dyspnea compared to non-ICU patients (95% vs. 61%,p= 0.022). ICU-patients had lymphopenia as well as hypoalbuminemia. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), C-reactive protein (CRP), and procalcitonin were significantly higher in ICU patients compared to non-ICU (p< 0.001). Lower albumin levels were associated with poor prognosis measured as longer hospital length (r = -0.472,p< 0.001) and mortality (r = -0.424,p= 0.003). As of 28 April 2020, 10 patients (8 ICU and 2 non-ICU) have died (21% mortality), and while 100% of the non-ICU patients have been discharged, 33% of the ICU patients still remained hospitalized (5 in ICU and 2 had been transferred to ward). Critically ill patients with COVID-19 present lymphopenia, hypoalbuminemia and high levels of inflammation.enghttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/COVID-19AlbuminInflammationresearch articleAttribution 4.0 International3272202088110610.3390/microorganisms80811062076-2607Microorganismsopen access2-s2.0-85090671889567059300001