The first ten days after discharge from hospital present a high risk for patients with severe forms of Covid-19.
- Covid-19 patients face a 40% to 60% higher risk of returning to hospital or dying within a week and a half of leaving hospital compared to patients who suffer from heart failure or of pneumonia.
- After 60 days, the risk reverses and is lower for Covid patients.
Released from the hospital, patients hospitalized for Covid-19 are not out of the woods. The first ten days are particularly to be watched according to a new study published on December 14 in the JAMA by American researchers from the University of Michigan.
Lower risk 60 days after discharge from hospital
Covid-19 patients face a 40% to 60% higher risk of returning to hospital or dying within a week and a half of leaving hospital compared to patients who suffer from heart failure or of pneumonia. It is only after 60 days that the risk of readmission or death appears lower than that of patients with the other two conditions. In the first two months, 9% of patients with Covid-19 who survived hospitalization died and nearly 20% experienced readmission. This is in addition to the 18.5% who died while in hospital.
The researchers compared the post-hospital outcomes of nearly 2,200 people who survived hospitalization at 132 hospitals with those of 1,800 patients who survived a stay for pneumonia unrelated to Covid-19 and 3,500 for a stay. related to heart failure, during the same period.
Long-term support
“With hundreds of thousands of Americans now hospitalized with severe cases of Covid-19 and hospitals scrambling to free up beds for a continued surge, the study suggests the need for special vigilance in the first days after the exitinfers John P. Donnelly, first author of the study and an epidemiologist in the Department of Health Sciences Learning at the University of Michigan Academic Medical Center. Comparing the long-term outcomes of patients with Covid-19 to those of other critically ill patients, we see an even higher than usual risk pattern from the first to two weeks, which can be a risky period. for everyone.”
These results show the need to reflect on the long-term care of patients hospitalized for Covid. “Now the question is what to do about itasks John P. Donnelly. How can we design better discharge plans for these patients? How can we adapt our communication and post-hospital care to their needs? And how can we help their carers prepare and cope?”
.
