Abstract
BACKGROUND: The global pandemic respiratory infection COVID-19 has had a high mortality rate since early 2020 with a broad spectrum of symptoms and giving a high burden. This study used the chest X-ray radiologic severity index method to radiologically assess the degree of lung lesions and the CURB-65 score to clinically assess COVID-19 pneumonia patients associated with the incidence of death in hospitalized patients. RESULTS: The research data were carried out from March 2020 to April 2021 based on patient medical records and chest X-rays at Doctor Kariadi General Hospital Semarang Indonesia. One hundred and five subjects were collected that fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The CURB-65 score ≥ 2 had a significant relationship to the death event with a prevalence interval of 2.98 (95% CI, p = 0.000). The radiologic severity index ≥ 22.5 in initial chest X-ray signified a prevalence ratio of 2.24 (CI 95%, p = 0.004) and the radiologic severity index ≥ 29.5 in the second chest X-ray signified a prevalence ratio of 4.53 for the incidence of death (95% CI, p = 0.000). The combination of CURB-65 and the first chest X-ray radiologic severity index resulted in a prevalence ratio of 27.44, and the combination of CURB-65 and the second chest X-ray radiologic severity index resulted in a prevalence ratio of 60.2 which were significant for the mortality of hospitalized COVID-19 pneumonia patients. CONCLUSIONS: Chest X-ray radiologic severity index and CURB-65 score have a significant relevance with the death event in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 pneumonia and can thus be used as a predictor of mortality.