An Australian COVID‐19 respiratory care unit experience

Background Coronavirus disease (COVID‐19) is an infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) with a heterogeneous presentation ranging from severe pneumonitis to asymptomatic infection. International studies have demonstrated the utility of respiratory ca...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Internal medicine journal 2023-07, Vol.53 (7), p.1115-1120
Main Authors: Ward‐Ambler, Emily, Wallbridge, Peter, Singh, Kasha, Miller, Alistair, Irving, Louis B., Manser, Renee, Goldin, Jeremy, Hii, Su, Hammerschlag, Gary, Rees, Megan
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Age
Aged
Asymptomatic infection
Australia - epidemiology
Child, Preschool
Comorbidity
continuous positive airway pressure
Coronaviruses
COVID-19
COVID-19 - therapy
Feasibility studies
Female
Hospitals
Humans
Infectious diseases
Intensive Care Units
Intubation
Lung diseases
Male
Mechanical ventilation
Medical treatment
Mortality
non‐invasive ventilation
Obstructive lung disease
Patients
Pneumonitis
Respiratory Care Units
Retrospective Studies
SARS-CoV-2
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
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Summary:Background Coronavirus disease (COVID‐19) is an infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) with a heterogeneous presentation ranging from severe pneumonitis to asymptomatic infection. International studies have demonstrated the utility of respiratory care units (RCUs) to facilitate the delivery of non‐invasive ventilation techniques to patients with COVID‐19 pneumonitis. Aims This study aims to describe the patient characteristics, flow and outcomes of admissions to the Royal Melbourne Hospital (RMH) COVID‐19 RCU (CRCU) during its initial period of operation. Methods Single‐centre retrospective cohort study, all patients admitted to CRCU between 17 September and 10 December 2021 were included in this study. Patient demographics, including comorbidities and limitations of medical treatment, were analysed. Admission source and discharge destination were reviewed. Length of stay was recorded. Finally, in‐hospital and CRCU mortality were analysed. Results Ninety‐seven patients, comprising 111 admissions, occurred during the study period with median age of 65 years (48% female). Most patients were admitted from and discharged to the ward. Twenty patients died in hospital (21%), with age, 4C score, comorbidity and presence of obstructive lung disease predicting mortality (area under the curve (AUC) 0.85, P
ISSN:1444-0903
1445-5994
DOI:10.1111/imj.16125