Features and Outcomes of Confirmed COVID-19 Patients Presenting to the Emergency Department

Abstract

ObjectiveThis study is aimed to determine whether there is a correlation between demographic characteristics, symptoms, initial vital signs, laboratory findings, and clinical outcome(s) of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).MethodsThis descriptive, single-center study retrospectively reviewed data from the medical records of patients confirmed with COVID-19 in a tertiary academic center in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, between March and June 2020.ResultsThe present study enrolled 1039 patients (mean age ± SD, 45.16 ± 19.33 years) suffering from COVID-19, of whom 60.9% were not known to have any medical illnesses. The most common comorbidity was cardiovascular disease (27.8%). Patients with advanced age (p < 0.001), cardiovascular disease (p < 0.001), diabetes mellitus (p = 0.003), asthma (p = 0.008), renal disease (p = 0.020), fever (p = 0.002), dyspnea (p < 0.001), tachypnea (p < 0.001), low albumin (p < 0.001), low alkaline phosphatase levels (p = 0.008), high C-reactive protein (p = 0.003), high fibrinogen (p = 0.047), and high lactate levels (p = 0.015) were more likely to be admitted.ConclusionsPatients with increased age, multiple comorbidities, and unstable initial vital signs at emergency department presentation experienced a more severe course of COVID-19 and required admission.