Open AccessEmergency department implementation of monoclonal antibody infusion for the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019: A template for rapid deployment
Author(s) -
Woltemate Thomas J.,
Wadas Richard J.,
McCreary Erin K.,
Bariola Ryan,
Minnier Tami,
Marroquin Oscar C.,
Schmidhofer Mark,
Albin Debbie,
Angus Derek C.,
Yealy Donald M.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of the american college of emergency physicians open
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2688-1152
DOI - 10.1002/emp2.12550
Subject(s) - monoclonal antibody , medicine , emergency department , coronavirus , adverse effect , covid-19 , disease , intensive care medicine , intervention (counseling) , monoclonal , emergency medicine , virology , antibody , immunology , infectious disease (medical specialty) , nursing
Monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapy can improve coronavirus disease 2019 outcomes when infused early in select patients. We sought to rapidly create and implement a program for emergency department (ED) mAb infusion to aid care. Using multiple strategies and actions—education, selection criteria, screening tools, rapid testing, compounding, and delivery—we infused 832 ED patients with a mAb. The screening tool identified 94.5% of these patients as potential candidates. Length of stay was nearly identical for patients who tested positive for coronavirus disease 2019 versus those requiring testing. Mild adverse reactions occurred in 2.3% of mAb infusions, and severe reactions occurred in 0.5% of infusions. We highlight a strategic approach for using the ED as a key coronavirus disease 2019 therapeutic site for this intervention and with high utility and low disruption.