Comportamiento de pacientes con sospecha de COVID-19 ingresados en el Hospital Básico de Baba, Los Ríos, Ecuador

Abstract

COVID-19 affects the upper and lower respiratory tract of man, presenting with a clinical picture ranging from mild to severe (acute respiratory distress syndrome). The objective of the study was to establish the behavior of patients with suspected COVID- 19 admitted to the Basic Hospital of Baba, province of Los Ríos, during the period March to May 2020, through comprehensive clinical and nursing care, clinical-microbiological laboratory diagnosis, taking into account previous diseases, epidemiological risk factors and the health context. A retrospective cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted. The population consisting of 29 patients admitted. In terms of results, adults over the age of 65 accounted for 55.2% of the total. Higher percentage of men (58.6%) were shown women (41.4%). There was predominance of lonely elders in rural areas, with housing of mixed construction, overcrowding, low socioeconomic resources. All patients had previous pathologies and 100.0% suffered from dyspnoea, dry cough, asthenia and fever, resulting in positive COVID-19 with rapid testing; 51.7% with RT PCR. It was concluded that of adults over the age of 65, 20.7% were referred to other units because of their severity or died of respiratory failure, pneumonia or multiorgan failure. Comprehensive clinical and nursing care as well as treatment focused on the individual characteristics of each patient such as age, comorities, evolution and severity of infection.