Use of a Unique Mobile Medical Asset in COVID Monoclonal Antibody Treatment.

Leighanne Buenvenida,Herman Morchel,David Clark,Chinwe Ogedegbe

doi:10.3390/healthcare9080990

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent surge of patients presented to emergency departments has forever changed the paradigm of delivering emergency care. The highly infectious nature of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus, or COVID-19, mandated strict environmental changes, novel patient care, and flexible strategies to continue to deliver efficient emergency care while maintaining appropriate physical distancing between suspect and non-suspect COVID-19 patients. The engagement of a unique rapidly deployable Mobile Satellite Emergency Department (MSED) with scalable capability from prompt care to resuscitation level allowed the emergency care team to optimize patient care and throughput. The MSED was strategically located adjacent to the ambulance entrance. While initially deployed to increase Emergency Department surge capacity, the MSED was repurposed to cohort and treat COVID patients with the monoclonal antibody, Bamlanivimab, who were expected to be discharged after treatment. This allowed for more efficient use of Emergency Department resources, including physical space and staffing.

Highlights

This communication describes the use of a unique mobile medical asset to improve patient care and optimize the use of Emergency Department (ED) resources during the COVID-19 pandemic.The location of use is the Hackensack Meridian Health—Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, New Jersey
Starting in December 2020, the mobile satellite emergency department treated adult pre-selected patients to receive the intravenous infusion Bamlanivimab, a monoclonal antibody provided to known positive COVID-19 patients
Selection criteria was the same as for patients treated in the in-building Emergency Department, as described in Appendix B

Summary

Introduction

This communication describes the use of a unique mobile medical asset to improve patient care and optimize the use of Emergency Department (ED) resources during the COVID-19 pandemic. The specific innovation addressed in this communication is the treatment of patients diagnosed with COVID-19 with the monoclonal antibody Bamlanivimab in a unique alternate care area. These are generally patients who are scheduled to present for treatment and whose discharge is anticipated after treatment. Patients receiving the antibody were treated in a dedicated Mobile Satellite Emergency Department (MSED) located outside the ambulance entrance of the normal Emergency Department This communication will discuss details and considerations of staffing, supply, patient flow, and the unique Mobile Satellite Emergency Department

Materials and Methods

Discussion and Results

ConclusiToontasl