Short-Term Outcomes in Elderly Patients with SARS-CoV-2 Infections Discharged from Community Hospitals

Abstract

Spence D, Dexter J, Barclay C, Latham S, Richardson A and Ghosh S

Introduction: Clinical outcomes from very elderly hospitalised patients with SARS-COV-2 (Covid-19), are poor, with a reported in-patient mortality as high as 20%. Age, sex, comorbidities, ethnicity and deprivation have all been shown to correlate with worse outcomes in patients with Covid-19, however the outcomes of elderly hospitalised patients once discharged remains unknown. We looked at our cohort of very elderly patients treated within community hospital settings.

Methods & Results: A retrospective case note analysis was undertaken within our 222 bedded community hospital structure during the first wave of the pandemic from April to August 2020. A total of 129 patients were treated during this period. The average age of the patients was 78.8 ± 2.7 years. In patient mortality was 11% (14 patients). 83% of patients were discharged from the hospitals. 27% were discharged to care home facilities. At 90 days, 83% of patients were still alive but a third of these patients were re-admitted into hospital with various different diagnoses.

Conclusion: Elderly patients who survived Covid-19 infection and left hospital have a relatively high mortality rate in the short-term. Also connected with this is a high morbidity rate and therefore care must be directed within primary care to ensure that this group stay out of hospitals.

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