1. Feasibility and Predictive Performance of a Triage System for Patients with Cancer During the COVID-19 Pandemic
- Author
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Giuseppe Petruzzellis, Mauro Mansutti, G. Targato, Raffaela Donato, D. Zara, Alessandra Bin, Anna Candoni, Alessandro Marco Minisini, Renato Fanin, Alessandra Sperotto, Giacomo Pelizzari, Chiara Comuzzi, and Gianpiero Fasola
- Subjects
Male ,Cancer Research ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Disease ,SARS‐CoV‐2 ,Body Temperature ,Diagnosis, Differential ,03 medical and health sciences ,COVID-19 Testing ,0302 clinical medicine ,COVID‐19 ,Predictive Value of Tests ,Neoplasms ,Surveys and Questionnaires ,medicine ,Humans ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Asymptomatic Infections ,Pandemics ,Cancer ,Aged ,Retrospective Studies ,SARS-CoV-2 ,business.industry ,COVID-19 ,Containment measures ,Triage ,Retrospective cohort study ,Odds ratio ,Middle Aged ,medicine.disease ,Confidence interval ,Italy ,Oncology ,Symptom Management and Supportive Care ,030220 oncology & carcinogenesis ,Emergency medicine ,Feasibility Studies ,Female ,Self Report ,Differential diagnosis ,business ,Asymptomatic carrier - Abstract
Background Triage procedures have been implemented to limit hospital access and minimize infection risk among patients with cancer during the coronavirus disease (COVID‐19) outbreak. In the absence of prospective evidence, we aimed to evaluate the predictive performance of a triage system in the oncological setting. Materials and Methods This retrospective cohort study analyzes hospital admissions to the oncology and hematology department of Udine, Italy, during the COVID‐19 pandemic (March 30 to April 30, 2020). A total of 3,923 triage procedures were performed, and data of 1,363 individual patients were reviewed. Results A self‐report triage questionnaire identified 6% of triage‐positive procedures, with a sensitivity of 66.7% (95% confidence interval [CI], 43.0%–85.4%), a specificity of 94.3% (95% CI, 93.5%–95.0%), and a positive predictive value of 5.9% (95% CI, 4.3%–8.0%) for the identification of patients who were not admitted to the hospital after medical review. Patients with thoracic cancer (odds ratio [OR], 1.69; 95% CI, 1.13–2.53, p = .01), younger age (OR, 1.52; 95% CI, 1.15–2.01, p < .01), and body temperature at admission ≥37°C (OR, 9.52; 95% CI, 5.44–16.6, p < .0001) had increased risk of positive triage. Direct hospital access was warranted to 93.5% of cases, a further 6% was accepted after medical evaluation, whereas 0.5% was refused at admission. Conclusion A self‐report questionnaire has a low positive predictive value to triage patients with cancer and suspected severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) symptoms. Differential diagnosis with tumor‐ or treatment‐related symptoms is always required to avoid unnecessary treatment delays. Body temperature measurement improves the triage process's overall sensitivity, and widespread SARS‐CoV‐2 testing should be implemented to identify asymptomatic carriers. Implications for Practice This is the first study to provide data on the predictive performance of a triage system in the oncological setting during the coronavirus disease outbreak. A questionnaire‐based triage has a low positive predictive value to triage patients with cancer and suspected severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) symptoms, and a differential diagnosis with tumor‐ or treatment‐related symptoms is mandatory to avoid unnecessary treatment delays. Consequently, adequate recourses should be reallocated for a triage implementation in the oncological setting. Of note, body temperature measurement improves the overall sensitivity of the triage process, and widespread testing for SARS‐CoV‐2 infection should be implemented to identify asymptomatic carriers., Patients with cancer are considered to be at increased risk for severe complications and death during the COVID‐19 pandemic. This article evaluates the feasibility and predictive performance of a triage system implemented in a cancer center to address this concern.
- Published
- 2021
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