The Impact of Frailty, Oropharyngeal Dysphagia and Malnutrition on Mortality in Older Patients Hospitalized for Covid-19

Aging Dis. 2024 Apr 1;15(2):927-938. doi: 10.14336/AD.2023.0425-2.

Abstract

COVID-19 hospital mortality is higher among older patients through as yet little-known factors. We aimed to assess the effect of frailty (FR), oropharyngeal dysphagia (OD) and malnutrition (MN) on mortality in hospitalized COVID-19 older patients. Prospective cohort study of older patients (>70 years) with COVID-19 admitted to a general hospital from April 2020 to January 2021. Patients were evaluated on admission, discharge and at 1- and 3-months follow up. FR was assessed with FRAIL-VIG, OD with Volume-Viscosity Swallowing Test and MN with GLIM criteria. Clinical characteristics and outcomes, including intra-hospital, 1- and 3-month mortality, were analyzed. 258 patients were included (82.5±7.6 years; 58.9% women); 66.7% had FR (mild 28.7%, moderate 27.1% and severe 10.9%); 65.4%, OD and 50.6%, MN. OD prevalence increased from non-FR patients through the severity levels of FR: mild, moderate and severe (29.8%, 71.6%, 90.0%, 96.2%; p<0.0001, respectively), but not that of MN (50.6%, 47.1%, 52.5%, 56.0%). Mortality over the whole study significantly increased across FR categories (9.3% non-FR; 23.0% mild; 35.7% moderate; 75.0% severe; p<.001). Functionality (Barthel pre-admission, HR=0.983, CI-95%:0.973-0.993; p=0.001), OD (HR=2.953, CI-95%:0.970-8.989; p=0.057) and MN (HR=4.279, CI-95%:1.658-11.049; p=0.003) were independent risk factors for intra-hospital mortality. FR, OD and MN are highly prevalent conditions in older patients hospitalized with COVID-19. Functionality, OD and MN were independent risk factors for intra-hospital mortality.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • COVID-19* / complications
  • Deglutition Disorders* / complications
  • Female
  • Frailty* / complications
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Malnutrition* / complications
  • Prospective Studies

Grants and funding

The authors would like to thank Viridiana Arreola, Weslania Nascimento, Stephanie Riera, Claudia Alarcon, Romina Escobar and Alicia Costa for the evaluation of patients during the pandemic. We would also like to thank the healthcare professionals from the COVID-19 wards of the Consorci Sanitari del Maresme. Finally, we thank Elisabeth Palomera from the Research Unit of CSdM for statistical support and Jane Lewis for the English revision of the manuscript. This work was supported by: 1) NutriCOVer Program by Danone Trading Medical BV; 2) Strategic Plan for Research and Innovation in Health (PERIS), Generalitat de Catalunya (intensification grant of AM; SLT008/18/00162); and 3) The Territorial Competitiveness Specialization Project (PECT) of Mataro-Maresme (PRE/161/2019) financed by the Government of Catalunya-Generalitat de Catalunya within the framework of the European Regional Developments Funds of Catalonia Operational Programme 2014-2020.