Baseline drug treatments and long-term outcomes in COVID-19-hospitalized patients: results of the 2020 AUTCOV study

Abstract

Limited data are available on long-term morbidity and mortality after COVID-19 hospitalization. In this population-based study, we investigated the long-term mortality and morbidity after COVID-19 hospitalization and associations with baseline drug treatments. Data were provided on hospitalized COVID-19 patients in 2020 and matched controls by the Austrian Health Insurance Funds. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality. Secondary outcomes were all-cause mortality conditional on COVID-hospital survival and re-hospitalization due to any reason. The median follow-up was 600 days. 22 571 patients aged >18 years were hospitalized in Austria in 2020 due to COVID-19. The risk of all-cause mortality was significantly higher with polypharmacy. With the exception of the youngest age group (19-40 years), antiepileptics, antipsychotics and the medicament group of iron supplements, erythropoietic stimulating agents, Vitamin B12, and folic acid were significantly associated with a higher risk of death (all p<0,001). For Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and other anti-inflammatory drugs, significantly increased survival was observed (all p<0,001). Patients had a higher drug prescription load than the control population. Long-term mortality and the risk of re-hospitalization due to any reason were also significantly greater in the patients. Antipsychotics are assumed to be an underrecognized medication group linked to worse outcomes after COVID-19 hospitalization.