Background: COVID-19 typically presents with respiratory symptoms which may progress with severe disease. There are standard guidelines for managing respiratory distress (e.g. opioids, anxiolytics) and palliative care teams are well versed in managing these symptoms.
Aim: Determine the extent to which hospitalized COVID-19 patients with moderate respiratory distress received medications or palliative consultation for symptom management and if these interventions had any association with outcomes.
Design: Retrospective chart review for hospitalized COVID-19+ patients from March 2-April 30, 2020.
Setting: Large integrated health system in the New York Metropolitan area.
Patients: 312 adult patients hospitalized with COVID-19 with an order for a non-rebreather mask and meeting criteria for moderate respiratory distress on the Respiratory Distress Observation Scale: concurrent respiratory rate ≥30 and heart rate ≥110 at any point during hospitalization. Patients receiving mechanical ventilation or intensive care were excluded.
Results: Most COVID-19 patients experiencing moderate respiratory distress did not receive medications or palliative consultation for symptom management. Patients who received medications were predominantly white, older, and had a Do-Not-Resuscitate order. Patients who received a palliative consultation were more likely to be older, female, and white, with a Do-Not-Resuscitate order. Mortality was similar between those receiving medication and those who did not.
Conclusion: Medications and palliative expertise for symptom management were underused for patients with moderate respiratory distress due to COVID-19. Education and triggers may help providers to identify moderate respiratory distress and consider symptomatic treatment and palliative consultation when appropriate.
Keywords: COVID-19; coronavirus; dyspnea; palliative care; symptom management.