APP score as a predictor of mortality in patients with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome due to COVID-19 in a reference hospital in northern of Peru

Background: Mortality in patients with severe COVID-19 who developed severe pneumonia and severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) has been significant despite timely treatment. It is important to determine early predictors of disease that help us to stratify those patients with a higher risk of death. It is intended to study the behavior of the APPS score as a predictor of this, based on some reports of use and usefulness in non-COVID-19 ARDS. Aim: To determine if the APP score is useful as a predictor of mortality in ARDS due to severe COVID-19. Method: A retrospective cohort study was carried out, including patients from the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) with ARDS due to severe COVID-19 who were admitted to the ICU of the Trujillo Regional Teaching Hospital (HRDT) in the period March 2020 to March 2021. The usefulness of the APP score as a predictor of mortality in mentioned population was evaluated. Results: The APP score proved to be a factor associated with mortality in patients with ARDS and severe COVID-19 (APR 1.34; 95% CI 1.16 to 1.56; p < 0.001). We also found that when performing a prediction model adjusted for age, sex, SOFA, APP score, shock and Charlson Index (ICh) we found that the APP score, male sex (APR: 1.48; 95% CI 1.09 to 2.049; p < 0.05) and the ICh behave as factors associated with mortality ( RPa: 1.11; 95% CI 1.02 to 1.21; p < 0.05). Conclusion: The APP score, male sex, and ICh are predictors of mortality in ARDS due to severe COVID-19.