tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
J Emerg Med
. 2020 Sep 21;S0736-4679(20)30977-X.
doi: 10.1016/j.jemermed.2020.09.048. Online ahead of print.
Clinical Features of Patients with COVID-19: is Temperature Screening Useful?
Gary M Vilke[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Jesse J Brennan[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Alexandrea O Cronin[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Edward M Castillo[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Background: As many businesses reopen after government-induced restrictions, many public agencies and private companies, such as banks, golf courses, and stores, are using temperature screening to assess for possible coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection both for patrons and for employees.
Objective: We assessed the frequency of a fever ≥100.4?F and other symptoms associated with COVID-19 among patients in the emergency department (ED) who were tested in the ED for the illness.
Methods: This is a retrospective review of data from patients who were tested for acute COVID-19 infection from March 10, 2020 through June 30, 2020 at two EDs within the same health care system. Data collected included temperature, the presence or recent history of COVID-19-related symptoms, and COVID-19 test results. Descriptive statistics are reported for presenting fever and other COVID-19-related symptoms alone and in combination with presenting fever.
Results: A total of 6894 patients were tested for COVID-19. Among these, 330 (4.8%) tested positive for active infection. Of these patients, 64 (19.4%) presented with a fever ≥100.4?F (≥38.0?C). Increasing the number of COVID-19-related symptoms in combination with a presenting fever ≥100.4?F increased the number of people who could be identified as having a COVID-19 infection.
Conclusions: About a quarter of patients who were tested positive for COVID-19 in our ED did not have a fever at presentation ≥100.4?F. Using only temperature to screen for COVID-19 in the community setting will likely miss the majority of patients with active disease.
Keywords: COVID-19; ED utilization; pandemic.
. 2020 Sep 21;S0736-4679(20)30977-X.
doi: 10.1016/j.jemermed.2020.09.048. Online ahead of print.
Clinical Features of Patients with COVID-19: is Temperature Screening Useful?
Gary M Vilke[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Jesse J Brennan[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Alexandrea O Cronin[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Edward M Castillo[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 33139117
- DOI: 10.1016/j.jemermed.2020.09.048
Abstract
Background: As many businesses reopen after government-induced restrictions, many public agencies and private companies, such as banks, golf courses, and stores, are using temperature screening to assess for possible coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection both for patrons and for employees.
Objective: We assessed the frequency of a fever ≥100.4?F and other symptoms associated with COVID-19 among patients in the emergency department (ED) who were tested in the ED for the illness.
Methods: This is a retrospective review of data from patients who were tested for acute COVID-19 infection from March 10, 2020 through June 30, 2020 at two EDs within the same health care system. Data collected included temperature, the presence or recent history of COVID-19-related symptoms, and COVID-19 test results. Descriptive statistics are reported for presenting fever and other COVID-19-related symptoms alone and in combination with presenting fever.
Results: A total of 6894 patients were tested for COVID-19. Among these, 330 (4.8%) tested positive for active infection. Of these patients, 64 (19.4%) presented with a fever ≥100.4?F (≥38.0?C). Increasing the number of COVID-19-related symptoms in combination with a presenting fever ≥100.4?F increased the number of people who could be identified as having a COVID-19 infection.
Conclusions: About a quarter of patients who were tested positive for COVID-19 in our ED did not have a fever at presentation ≥100.4?F. Using only temperature to screen for COVID-19 in the community setting will likely miss the majority of patients with active disease.
Keywords: COVID-19; ED utilization; pandemic.