Mortality, readmission low with COVID-19 discharge on home oxygen

(HealthDay)—For patients with COVID-19 pneumonia, rates of mortality and 30-day readmission are low with discharge on home oxygen, according to a study published online April 1 in JAMA Network Open.

Josh Banerjee, M.D., M.P.H., from the Los Angeles County + University of Southern California Medical Center, and colleagues conducted a retrospective cohort study involving 621 adult patients with COVID-19 pneumonia who were discharged from two large urban public hospitals from March 20 to Aug. 19, 2020. Patients receiving at least 3 L/min of oxygen who were stable without other indications for inpatient care were discharged with home oxygen equipment, educational resources, and nursing telephone follow-up within 12 to 18 hours of discharge.

Of the patients, 24 and 76 percent were discharged from the emergency department and inpatient encounters, respectively. The researchers found that within a median follow-up time of 26 days, the all-cause mortality rate was 1.3 percent, and the 30-day readmission rate was 8.5 percent. In the ambulatory setting, no deaths occurred.

"This expected practice may be considered part of a strategy to ensure right care, right place, and right time for patients with COVID-19 pneumonia, and to preserve acute care access during the pandemic," the authors write.

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