Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39300524›Full record

Observational studyBMC health services research2024

Clinical characteristics, treatment, and outcomes for elderly patients in a dedicated Covid-19 ward at a primary health care facility in western Norway: a retrospective observational study.

Bård Reiakvam Kittang, Ane Tveiten Øien, Einar Engtrø, Marian Skjellanger, Kjell Krüger

Abstract readObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in BMC health services research, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Bård Reiakvam KittangDepartment of Nursing Home Medicine, Municipality of Bergen, Bergen, Norway. bard.kittang@bergen.kommune.no.
Ane Tveiten ØienDepartment of Nursing Home Medicine, Municipality of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
Einar EngtrøDepartment of Nursing Home Medicine, Municipality of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
Marian SkjellangerDepartment of Nursing Home Medicine, Municipality of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
Kjell KrügerDepartment of Nursing Home Medicine, Municipality of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe coronavirus pandemic has hit the oldest and frailest individuals hard, particularly patients and residents in nursing homes. In March 2020, we established a Covid-19 ward at a nursing home in Bergen, western Norway for elderly patients with Sars-CoV-2 infection and in the need of treatment and care in a primary health care facility. The aims of this study were to describe the organization of the ward, the clinical outcomes of infection, treatment, mortality rates in the population, the level of advanced care planning, and end-of-life care for those who died.

methodsWe present patient characteristics, outcomes, vaccination status, treatment, decisions regarding treatment intensity upon clinical deterioration, and mortality for the patients in the ward. Clinical factors possibly related to a fatal outcome were analysed with chi square test (categorical variables) or t-test (continuous variables).

results257 patients were included from March 2020 to April 2022. Fifty-nine patients (23.0%) developed respiratory failure. Ten patients (3.9%) were admitted to hospital. Advance care planning was undertaken for 245 (95.3%) of the patients. 30-day mortality rate decreased from 42 to 4% during the study period. Of the 29 (11.3%) patients who died, all were well alleviated in the terminal phase, and 26 (89.7%) of them had a Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) value ≥ 7. A high score for CFS, respiratory failure and respiratory co-infection were significantly associated with Covid-19 related death within 30 days.

conclusionsCovid-19-related mortality markedly decreased during the study period, and a high score for CFS was related to a fatal outcome. Thorough planning of treatment intensity upon deterioration, low hospitalization rates, and good relief for those who died suggest that dedicated Covid-19 wards in nursing homes can provide good treatment for the patients and relieve other nursing homes and specialist health care services.

Indexed as

COVID-19Nursing HomesPrimary Health CareSARS-CoV-2Advance Care PlanningAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleHumansMaleNorwayPandemicsRetrospective StudiesTerminal CareAdvance care planningClinical Frailty ScaleCovid-19Nursing homePalliative care

Identifiers

PMID39300524
PMCPMC11414310

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.