A safe protocol to identify low-risk patients with COVID-19 pneumonia for outpatient management

We describe outcomes of those patients and compare those who needed readmission versus those who did not. We use logistic regression to explore factors associated with readmissions. A total of 314 patients were included, of which 20 (6.4%) needed readmission, and none needed ICU admission nor died. At least one comorbidity was present in 29.9% of patients. Hypertension, leukopenia, lymphocytopenia, increased lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and increased aminotransferases were all associated with a higher risk of readmission. A clinical course of 10  days or longer, and an absolute eosinophil count over 200/µL were associated with a lower risk. After the multivariate analysis, only hypertension (OR 4.99, CI 1.54–16.02), temperature over 38 °C in the emergency ward (OR 9.03, CI 1.89–45.77), leukopenia (OR 4.92, CI 1.42–17.11) and incre ased LDH (OR 6.62, CI 2.82–19.26) remained significantly associated with readmission. Outpatient management of patients with low-risk COVID-19 pneumonia is safe, if adequately selected. The protocol presented here has allowed avoiding 30% of the admissions for COVID-19 pneumonia in our hospital, w ith a very low readmission rate and no mortality.
Source: Internal and Emergency Medicine - Category: Emergency Medicine Source Type: research