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The Utility of Preliminary Patient Evaluation in a Febrile Respiratory Infectious Disease Unit Outside the Emergency Department
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Abstract
Background
Acute respiratory illnesses are the leading cause of death from infectious diseases around the world, and occasional outbreaks of particularly virulent strains are can be public health disasters. Recently, a large outbreak of fatal Middle East respiratory syndrome-coronavirus (MERS-CoV) occurred following a single patient exposure in the emergency department (ED) of the Samsung Medical Center, a tertiary-care hospital in South Korea, which resulted in significant public health and economic burden.
After this outbreak, a febrile respiratory infectious disease unit (FRIDU) with a negative pressure ventilation system was constructed outside the emergency department (ED) in 2015, to screen for patients with contagious diseases requiring isolation.
Methods
This is a retrospective cohort study of patients who visited the ED with febrile illness between August 2015 and July 2016. Ultimately, 1562 patients who were hospitalized after FRIDU screening were analyzed. The level of isolation recommended during their screening at the FRIDU was compared with the level deemed appropriate given their final diagnosis.
Results
Of the 1562 patients screened at the FRIDU, 198 (13%) were isolated, 194 (12%) were reverse isolated, and 1170 (75%) were not isolated. While hospitalized, 97 patients (6%) were confirmed to have a contagious disease requiring isolation, such as tuberculosis; 207 patients (13%) were confirmed to be immunocompromised and to require reverse isolation, mainly due to neutropenia; and the remaining 1258 patients (81%) did not require isolation.
The correlation coefficient for isolation consistency was 0.565 ( P < 0.001). No serious nosocomial outbreaks of contagious diseases occurred. During FRIDU screening, 114 patients were admitted to the resuscitation zone due to clinical instability, and three of these patients died.
Conclusion
The initial isolation levels resulting from FRIDU screening were moderately well correlated with the isolation levels required by the final diagnosis, demonstrating the utility of pre-hospitalization screening units. However, the risks of deterioration during the screening process remain challenges.