IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v18y2021i17p9271-d627836.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Sort and Sieve: Pre-Triage Screening of Patients with Suspected COVID-19 in the Emergency Department

Author

Listed:
  • Kirsten R.C. Hensgens

    (VieCuri Medical Centre, Department of Emergency Medicine, 5912 BL Venlo, The Netherlands
    VieCuri Medical Centre, Department of Intensive Care, 5912 BL Venlo, The Netherlands)

  • Inge H.T. van Rensen

    (VieCuri Medical Centre, Department of Emergency Medicine, 5912 BL Venlo, The Netherlands)

  • Anita W. Lekx

    (VieCuri Medical Centre, Department of Emergency Medicine, 5912 BL Venlo, The Netherlands)

  • Frits H.M. van Osch

    (VieCuri Medical Centre, Department of Clinical Epidemiology, 5912 BL Venlo, The Netherlands
    School of Nutrition and Metabolism (NUTRIM), Maastricht University, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands)

  • Lieve H.H. Knarren

    (VieCuri Medical Centre, Department of Internal Medicine, T5912 BL Venlo, The Netherlands)

  • Caroline E. Wyers

    (School of Nutrition and Metabolism (NUTRIM), Maastricht University, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
    VieCuri Medical Centre, Department of Internal Medicine, T5912 BL Venlo, The Netherlands)

  • Joop P. van den Bergh

    (School of Nutrition and Metabolism (NUTRIM), Maastricht University, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
    VieCuri Medical Centre, Department of Internal Medicine, T5912 BL Venlo, The Netherlands)

  • Dennis G. Barten

    (VieCuri Medical Centre, Department of Emergency Medicine, 5912 BL Venlo, The Netherlands)

Abstract

Introduction. To reduce the risk of nosocomial transmission, suspected COVID-19 patients entering the Emergency Department (ED) were assigned to a high-risk (ED) or low-risk (acute medical unit, AMU) area based on symptoms, travel and contact history. The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of our pre-triage screening method and to analyse the characteristics of initially undetected COVID-19 patients. Methods. This was a retrospective, observational, single centre study. Patients ≥ 18 years visiting the AMU-ED between 17 March and 17 April 2020 were included. Primary outcome was the (correct) number of COVID-19 patients assigned to the AMU or ED. Results. In total, 1287 patients visited the AMU-ED: 525 (40.8%) AMU, 762 (59.2%) ED. Within the ED group, 304 (64.3%) of 473 tested patients were COVID-19 positive, compared to 13 (46.4%) of 28 tested patients in the AMU group. Our pre-triage screening accuracy was 63.7%. Of the 13 COVID-19 patients who were initially assigned to the AMU, all patients were ≥65 years of age and the majority presented with gastro-intestinal or non-specific symptoms. Conclusion. Older COVID-19 patients presenting with non-specific symptoms were more likely to remain undetected. ED screening protocols should therefore also include non-specific symptoms, particularly in older patients.

Suggested Citation

  • Kirsten R.C. Hensgens & Inge H.T. van Rensen & Anita W. Lekx & Frits H.M. van Osch & Lieve H.H. Knarren & Caroline E. Wyers & Joop P. van den Bergh & Dennis G. Barten, 2021. "Sort and Sieve: Pre-Triage Screening of Patients with Suspected COVID-19 in the Emergency Department," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(17), pages 1-11, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:17:p:9271-:d:627836
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/17/9271/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/17/9271/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Peng Zhou & Xing-Lou Yang & Xian-Guang Wang & Ben Hu & Lei Zhang & Wei Zhang & Hao-Rui Si & Yan Zhu & Bei Li & Chao-Lin Huang & Hui-Dong Chen & Jing Chen & Yun Luo & Hua Guo & Ren-Di Jiang & Mei-Qin L, 2020. "Addendum: A pneumonia outbreak associated with a new coronavirus of probable bat origin," Nature, Nature, vol. 588(7836), pages 6-6, December.
    2. Peng Zhou & Xing-Lou Yang & Xian-Guang Wang & Ben Hu & Lei Zhang & Wei Zhang & Hao-Rui Si & Yan Zhu & Bei Li & Chao-Lin Huang & Hui-Dong Chen & Jing Chen & Yun Luo & Hua Guo & Ren-Di Jiang & Mei-Qin L, 2020. "A pneumonia outbreak associated with a new coronavirus of probable bat origin," Nature, Nature, vol. 579(7798), pages 270-273, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Shahadat Uddin & Arif Khan & Haohui Lu & Fangyu Zhou & Shakir Karim, 2022. "Suburban Road Networks to Explore COVID-19 Vulnerability and Severity," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(4), pages 1-9, February.
    2. Quan-Hoang Vuong & Tam-Tri Le & Viet-Phuong La & Huyen Thanh Thanh Nguyen & Manh-Toan Ho & Quy Khuc & Minh-Hoang Nguyen, 2022. "Covid-19 vaccines production and societal immunization under the serendipity-mindsponge-3D knowledge management theory and conceptual framework," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 9(1), pages 1-12, December.
    3. Hengrui Liu & Sho Iketani & Arie Zask & Nisha Khanizeman & Eva Bednarova & Farhad Forouhar & Brandon Fowler & Seo Jung Hong & Hiroshi Mohri & Manoj S. Nair & Yaoxing Huang & Nicholas E. S. Tay & Sumin, 2022. "Development of optimized drug-like small molecule inhibitors of the SARS-CoV-2 3CL protease for treatment of COVID-19," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-16, December.
    4. Graziella Orrù & Ciro Conversano & Eleonora Malloggi & Francesca Francesconi & Rebecca Ciacchini & Angelo Gemignani, 2020. "Neurological Complications of COVID-19 and Possible Neuroinvasion Pathways: A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(18), pages 1-18, September.
    5. Gleidson Sobreira Leite & Adriano Bessa Albuquerque & Plácido Rogerio Pinheiro, 2021. "Applications of Technological Solutions in Primary Ways of Preventing Transmission of Respiratory Infectious Diseases—A Systematic Literature Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(20), pages 1-50, October.
    6. Britton Boras & Rhys M. Jones & Brandon J. Anson & Dan Arenson & Lisa Aschenbrenner & Malina A. Bakowski & Nathan Beutler & Joseph Binder & Emily Chen & Heather Eng & Holly Hammond & Jennifer Hammond , 2021. "Preclinical characterization of an intravenous coronavirus 3CL protease inhibitor for the potential treatment of COVID19," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-17, December.
    7. Susanne Kessler & Bradly Burke & Geoffroy Andrieux & Jan Schinköthe & Lea Hamberger & Johannes Kacza & Shijun Zhan & Clara Reasoner & Taru S. Dutt & Maria Kaukab Osman & Marcela Henao-Tamayo & Julian , 2024. "Deciphering bat influenza H18N11 infection dynamics in male Jamaican fruit bats on a single-cell level," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-18, December.
    8. Yongzhu Xiong & Yunpeng Wang & Feng Chen & Mingyong Zhu, 2020. "Spatial Statistics and Influencing Factors of the COVID-19 Epidemic at Both Prefecture and County Levels in Hubei Province, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(11), pages 1-26, May.
    9. Eugene Song & Jae-Eun Lee & Seola Kwon, 2021. "Effect of Public Empathy with Infection-Control Guidelines on Infection-Prevention Attitudes and Behaviors: Based on the Case of COVID-19," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(24), pages 1-18, December.
    10. Fabiana Fiasca & Mauro Minelli & Dominga Maio & Martina Minelli & Ilaria Vergallo & Stefano Necozione & Antonella Mattei, 2020. "Associations between COVID-19 Incidence Rates and the Exposure to PM2.5 and NO 2 : A Nationwide Observational Study in Italy," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(24), pages 1-10, December.
    11. Małgorzata Dudzińska & Marta Gwiaździńska-Goraj & Aleksandra Jezierska-Thöle, 2022. "Social Factors as Major Determinants of Rural Development Variation for Predicting Epidemic Vulnerability: A Lesson for the Future," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-24, October.
    12. James, Nick & Menzies, Max, 2023. "Collective infectivity of the pandemic over time and association with vaccine coverage and economic development," Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    13. Jaeyong Lee & Calem Kenward & Liam J. Worrall & Marija Vuckovic & Francesco Gentile & Anh-Tien Ton & Myles Ng & Artem Cherkasov & Natalie C. J. Strynadka & Mark Paetzel, 2022. "X-ray crystallographic characterization of the SARS-CoV-2 main protease polyprotein cleavage sites essential for viral processing and maturation," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-13, December.
    14. Xu, Baochang & Li, Sihui & Afzal, Ayesha & Mirza, Nawazish & Zhang, Meng, 2022. "The impact of financial development on environmental sustainability: A European perspective," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    15. Leili Mohammadi & Ahmad Mehravaran & Zahra Derakhshan & Ehsan Gharehchahi & Elza Bontempi & Mohammad Golaki & Razieh Khaksefidi & Mohadeseh Motamed-Jahromi & Mahsa Keshtkar & Amin Mohammadpour & Hamid, 2022. "Investigating the Role of Environmental Factors on the Survival, Stability, and Transmission of SARS-CoV-2, and Their Contribution to COVID-19 Outbreak: A Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-16, September.
    16. Jing Wang & Yuan-fei Pan & Li-fen Yang & Wei-hong Yang & Kexin Lv & Chu-ming Luo & Juan Wang & Guo-peng Kuang & Wei-chen Wu & Qin-yu Gou & Gen-yang Xin & Bo Li & Huan-le Luo & Shoudeng Chen & Yue-long, 2023. "Individual bat virome analysis reveals co-infection and spillover among bats and virus zoonotic potential," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-13, December.
    17. Nur Hannani Bi Rahman & Shazmin Shareena A. Azis & Ibrahim Sipan, 2021. "COVID-19: Standard Operating Procedure Improvement For Green Office Building Using Indoor Environmental Quality," LARES lares-2021-4dqg, Latin American Real Estate Society (LARES).
    18. Ho‐fung Hung, 2022. "The Virus, the Dollar, and the Global Order: The COVID‐19 Crisis in Comparative Perspective," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 53(6), pages 1177-1199, November.
    19. Eduardo Gutiérrez-Abejón & Eduardo Tamayo & Débora Martín-García & F. Javier Álvarez & Francisco Herrera-Gómez, 2020. "Clinical Profile, Treatment and Predictors during the First COVID-19 Wave: A Population-Based Registry Analysis from Castile and Leon Hospitals," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(24), pages 1-15, December.
    20. Bo Qin & Ziheng Li & Kaiming Tang & Tongyun Wang & Yubin Xie & Sylvain Aumonier & Meitian Wang & Shuofeng Yuan & Sheng Cui, 2023. "Identification of the SARS-unique domain of SARS-CoV-2 as an antiviral target," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-13, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:17:p:9271-:d:627836. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.