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OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical characteristics and outcomes of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 and diabetes mellitus in Vietnam. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective descriptive study was carried out from June 2021 to September 2022 at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases, a tertiary care center in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. RESULTS: The study included 154 patients with COVID-19 and diabetes mellitus. The mean age was 65 years, and women accounted for 64.3% of the study population. Prior COVID-19 vaccination was documented in 39.6% of patients. The mean duration of illness before hospitalization was 5 ± 3 days (range, one to 15 days). At admission, 71.8% of patients required oxygen support. The most common clinical manifestations were cough, dyspnea, and fever, while chest pain and diarrhea were less frequently observed. Common in-hospital complications included cytokine storm, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), sepsis, septic shock, ventilator-associated pneumonia, and urinary tract infection. Less frequent complications were ketoacidosis, hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state, and myocardial infarction. Most patients had a previous diagnosis of diabetes, whereas 14.3% were newly diagnosed during hospitalization on the basis of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c). The mean length of hospital stay was 16 ± 10 days (range, two to 71 days), and the mortality rate was 20%. CONCLUSION: Hospitalized patients with COVID-19 and diabetes mellitus had a substantial clinical burden, reflected by frequent oxygen requirements, severe complications, prolonged hospitalization, and considerable mortality. These findings underscore the need for close monitoring and careful metabolic management in this high-risk population.
Huỳnh et al. (Thu,) studied this question.