Addressability to the Emergency Department of patients with acute post-COVID 19 clinical symptoms

ABSTRACT

The long-distance post-SARS-CoV2 infection effects were partially known. The study aims to follow the evolution of the patients with acute post-COVID 19 clinical symptoms presented in the Emergency Department. Methods: We analyzed 262 presentations more than 14 days after the initial COVID-19 diagnosis and with at least one acute COVID-19-related symptom. This study included presented between 01.01 and 31.05.2021 in the Emergency Department of Bucharsti-Emergency University Hospital. Data were obtained in real-time, at the presentation, from the patients' medical charts, and afterward from SUUB's database. Results. Out of the total of 262 presentations, 40.84% required patient hospitalization. The highest number of presentations with (18.70%) or without (22.90%) hospitalization was recorded in the first month after the COVID-19 diagnosis. Patients with less than 30 days between presentations had significantly fewer hospitalization days, compared to those with more than 30 days between presentations (8.3 vs 14.14 days, p=0.009). We found a high amount of hospitalization days (1093 days), with 29.88% deaths. Conclusions: COVID-19 complications require prolonged hospitalization, with implications on the patients' quality of life, the overcrowding of intensive care facilities, high- cost treatment, and unfavorable evolution for a great number of patients.