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This article examines the association between weekend and holiday hospitalizations and mortality risk among patients with hematological malignancies and febrile neutropenia. The study, conducted in Denmark, included all emergency hospitalizations for febrile neutropenia in four out of five administrative regions over a five-year period. The results showed that hospitalizations during weekends and holidays were associated with a 17% to 37% higher 30-day mortality compared to hospitalizations on regular weekdays. However, the cause of this association remains unknown and further research with more detailed data is needed to understand the underlying factors. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses severity and survival among severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) Danish patients with haematological disorders before September 2020. Topics covered include the profile of patients, the highest mortality rate during the first few weeks, among older patients and those with comorbidity, and those with haematological diseases. Also noted is the importance for the latter group of monoclonal antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.

Objectives: Patients with haematological disorders may be particularly vulnerable to respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) infection; however, this is unknown. Methods: We conducted a prospective, nationwide study including 66 patients in follow‐up at Danish haematology departments with a malignant or non‐malignant haematological disorder and with verified SARS‐CoV‐2 infection. Outcomes were intensive care unit (ICU) admission and one‐month survival rate. Results: Mean age was 66.7 years, 60.6% were males, 90.9% had comorbidity, and 13.6% had a BMI ≥ 30. The most frequent diagnoses were chronic lymphocytic leukaemia/lymphoma (47.0%), multiple myeloma (16.7%) and acute leukaemia/myelodysplastic syndrome (AL/MDS) (12.1%). Treatment for the haematological disease was ongoing in 59.1% of cases. Neutropenia was present in 6.5%, lymphopenia in 46.6% and hypogammaglobulinaemia in 26.3%. The SARS‐CoV‐2 infection was mild in 50.0%, severe in 36.4% and critical in 13.6%. After one month, 21.2% had been admitted to ICU, and 24.2% died. Mortality was highest in older patients, patients with severe/critical SARS‐CoV‐2 infection, high comorbidity score or high performance status score, purine analogue treatment and with AL/MDS. Although older patients and patients with comorbidities had the highest mortality rates, mortality was considerable among all haematological patients. Conclusion: Haematological patients with SARS‐CoV‐2 infection has a severe clinical course. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]