Palliative care of covid-19 patients with do-not-resuscitate status in underrepresented minorities

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BRANKOVIC, Milos | JEON, Hyein | MARKOVIC, Nikolina | CHOI, Catherine | ADAM, Shawn | AMPEY, Madia | PERGAMENT, Kathleen | TIEN YEN CHYN, Eric

Background: The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on palliative care intervention (PCIs) in patients with do-not-resuscitate (DNR) status remains uncertain. Methods: Case-control study of patients with DNR order with RT-PCR confirmed SARS-COV2 infection (cases), and those with DNR order but without SARS-COV2 infection (controls). The primary outcome measures included timing and delivery of PCIs, and secondary measures included pre-admission characteristics and in-hospital death. Results: The ethnicity distribution was comparable between 69 cases and 138 controls, including Black/African Americans (61% vs. 44%), Latino/Hispanics (16% vs. 26%) and White (9% vs. 20%) (trend-p = .54). Cases were employed more (17% vs. 6%, adjusted-p = .012), less frail (fit 47% vs. 21%; mildly frail 22% vs. 36%; frail 31% vs. 43%, trend-p = .018) and had fewer comorbidities than controls. Cases had higher chances of intensive care unit admission (HR 1.76 [95% CI: 1.03–3.02]) and intubation (53% vs. 30%, p = .002), lower chances to be seen by palliative care team (HR .46 [.30–.70]) and a longer time to palliative care visit than controls (ß per ln-day .67 [.00–1.34]). In the setting of no-visiting hospitals policy, we did not find significant increase in utilisation of video conferencing (22% vs. 13%) and religious services (12% vs. 12%) both in case and in controls. Conclusion: Do-not-resuscitate patients with COVID-19 had better general health and higher employment status than 'typical' DNR patients, but lower chances to be seen by the palliative care team. This study raises a question of the applicability of the current palliative care model in addressing the needs of DNR patients with COVID-19 during the pandemic.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/eci.13889

Voir la revue «European journal of clinical investigation»

Autres numéros de la revue «European journal of clinical investigation»

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