Increased Mortality Risk in Patients with Illicit Substance Use and COVID-19: Analysis of a Large Brazilian Sample.
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| Title: | Increased Mortality Risk in Patients with Illicit Substance Use and COVID-19: Analysis of a Large Brazilian Sample. |
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| Authors: | Oliveira, Fabrício Emanuel Soares de (AUTHOR), Oliveira, Maria Christina L. (AUTHOR), Martelli, Daniella Reis Barbosa (AUTHOR), Sampaio, Cristina Andrade (AUTHOR), Colosimo, Enrico A. (AUTHOR), Oliveira, Eduardo A. (AUTHOR), Martelli Júnior, Hercílio (AUTHOR) |
| Source: | Substance Use & Misuse. 2025, Vol. 60 Issue 6, p933-936. 4p. |
| Subjects: | Substance abuse, Risk assessment, T-test (Statistics), Research funding, Hospital care, Probability theory, Hospital mortality, Retrospective studies, Chi-squared test, Descriptive statistics, Longitudinal method, Odds ratio, Medical records, Acquisition of data, Cannabis (Genus), Confidence intervals, Data analysis software, COVID-19, Crack cocaine |
| Geographic Terms: | Brazil |
| Abstract: | Background: Illicit substance use (ISU) may be a potential predisposing factor for severe COVID-19 outcomes. Objective: To conduct a propensity score-matching analysis to assess and compare the mortality rate of individuals who reported ISU among a sizable cohort of hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Brazil. Methods: This population-based retrospective cohort study analyzed a nationwide Brazilian database of patients hospitalized for COVID-19. Eligible patients were aged >18 years and tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection. The primary exposure of interest was ISU, defined as substances prohibited under Brazilian law, primarily marijuana, cocaine, and crack. Statistical analysis was performed using t-tests, chi-square tests, the Propensity Score Matching (PSM) technique to create a balanced comparison group, and the McNemar test for paired samples to assess mortality risk among patients with ISU. Results: In a cohort of 2,124,285 patients, 1,845 had ISU. The mortality rate in the ISU group was slightly higher than that in the non-ISU group (33% vs. 32%). After PSM, we found a higher odds ratio for death in patients with ISU (OR 2.18; 95% CI 1.85–2.57; p < 0.001). Conclusion: Our study highlights a significant association between ISU and an increased mortality risk in COVID-19 patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| Database: | Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection |
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| Abstract: | Background: Illicit substance use (ISU) may be a potential predisposing factor for severe COVID-19 outcomes. Objective: To conduct a propensity score-matching analysis to assess and compare the mortality rate of individuals who reported ISU among a sizable cohort of hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Brazil. Methods: This population-based retrospective cohort study analyzed a nationwide Brazilian database of patients hospitalized for COVID-19. Eligible patients were aged >18 years and tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection. The primary exposure of interest was ISU, defined as substances prohibited under Brazilian law, primarily marijuana, cocaine, and crack. Statistical analysis was performed using t-tests, chi-square tests, the Propensity Score Matching (PSM) technique to create a balanced comparison group, and the McNemar test for paired samples to assess mortality risk among patients with ISU. Results: In a cohort of 2,124,285 patients, 1,845 had ISU. The mortality rate in the ISU group was slightly higher than that in the non-ISU group (33% vs. 32%). After PSM, we found a higher odds ratio for death in patients with ISU (OR 2.18; 95% CI 1.85–2.57; p < 0.001). Conclusion: Our study highlights a significant association between ISU and an increased mortality risk in COVID-19 patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| ISSN: | 10826084 |
| DOI: | 10.1080/10826084.2025.2465978 |
