B41-45 The Effect of COVID-19 Infection on Outcomes in Patients With Interstitial Lung Disease: A Nationwide Study, 2020-2021

Abstract Rationale Patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD) are highly vulnerable to respiratory infections, but the magnitude of risk and healthcare burden associated with COVID-19 infection in this population remains incompletely characterized. This study evaluates the effect of COVID-19 infection on inpatient mortality, total hospital charges, and length of stay (LOS) among hospitalized ILD patients in the United States. Methods We conducted a retrospective analysis of the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database from 2020 to 2021. We identified adult patients with ILD and stratified them into two cohorts: those with COVID-19 and those without. Multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate the association between COVID-19 infection and in-hospital mortality, while linear regression assessed differences in hospital charges and length of stay, adjusting for sociodemographics, comorbidities, and hospital characteristics. Results Among ILD hospitalizations (n = 554, 775), 33, 915 (6. 12%) were COVID-19 infections. COVID-19 infection was significantly associated with higher odds of in-hospital mortality (adjusted odds ratio aOR = 4. 01; 95% CI 3. 75-4. 30; p 0. 01). Patients with concurrent COVID-19 incurred greater healthcare utilization, with an adjusted mean increase of 82, 741 (95% CI 72, 296-93, 185; p 0. 01) in total hospital charges and an additional 7. 4 days (95% CI 6. 9-7. 8; p 0. 01) in length of stay compared to those without COVID-19 infection. Conclusions COVID-19 infection significantly worsens clinical and economic outcomes in hospitalized ILD patients, with increased odds of mortality and markedly increased length of stay and costs. These findings underscore the critical importance of preventive measures such as vaccination, early antiviral therapy, and targeted resource allocation to mitigate adverse outcomes in this high-risk population. This abstract is funded by: None