Outcomes of Patients with COVID-19 from a Specialized Cancer Care Emergency Room. (2nd January 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Nath, Sandy Simcha; Yadav, Nandini Umesh; Derkach, Andriy; Perez-Johnston, Rocio; Tachiki, Lisa; Maguire, Kelsey; Babar, Afia; Maloy, Molly A.; Klotz, Adam; Jee, Justin; Taur, Ying; Chawla, Sanjay; Babady, Esther; Khaki, Ali Raza; Madeleine, Margaret M.; Grivas, Petros; Henning, Daniel J.; Aaltonen, H. Laura; Lyman, Gary H.; Groeger, Jeffrey
• Is Part Of: Cancer investigation. Volume 40:Number 1(2022)
• Page Start: 17
• Page End: 25
• Publication Date: 2022-01-02
• Subjects: COVID-19 -- medical utilization -- biostatistics -- decision analysis outcomes; Cancer -- Periodicals; Oncology -- Periodicals; Medical Oncology -- Periodicals; Neoplasms -- Periodicals; 616.994
• DOI: 10.1080/07357907.2021.1985134
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0735-7907

Abstract

Abstract: Purpose: Our goal was to identify discrete clinical characteristics associated with safe discharge from an emergency department/urgent care for patients with a history of cancer and concurrent COVID-19 infection during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and prior to widespread vaccination. Patients and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 255 adult patients with a history of cancer who presented to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) urgent care center (UCC) from March 1, 2020 to May 31, 2020 with concurrent COVID-19 infection. We evaluated associations between patient characteristics and 30-day mortality from initial emergency department (ED) or urgent care center (UCC) visit and the absence of a severe event within 30 days. External validation was performed on a retrospective data from 29 patients followed at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center that presented to the local emergency department. A late cohort of 108 additional patients at MSKCC from June 1, 2020 to January 31, 2021 was utilized for further validation. Results: In the MSKCC cohort, 30-day mortality and severe event rate was 15% and 32% respectively. Using stepwise regression analysis, elevated BUN and glucose, anemia, and tachypnea were selected as the main predictors of 30-day mortality. Conversely, normal albumin, BUN, calcium, and glucose, neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio <3, lack of (severe) hypoxia, lack of bradycardia or tachypnea, and negative imaging were selected as the main predictors of an uneventful course as defined as a Lack Of a Severe Event within Thirty Days (LOSETD). Utilizing this information, we devised a tool to predict 30-day mortality and LOSETD which achieved an area under the operating curve (AUC) of 79% and 74% respectively. Similar estimates of AUC were obtained in an external validation cohort. A late cohort at MSKCC was consistent with the prior, albeit with a lower AUC Conclusion: We identified easily obtainable variables that predict 30-day mortality and the absence of a severe event for patients with a history of cancer and concurrent COVID-19. This has been translated into a bedside tool that the clinician may utilize to assist disposition of this group of patients from the emergency department or urgent care setting.