Outcomes of Patients Placed in an Emergency Department Observation Unit of a Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Purpose: Emergency department observation units (EDOUs) have been shown to decrease length of stay and improve cost effectiveness. Yet, compared with noncancer patients, patients with cancer are placed in EDOUs less often. In this study, we aimed to describe patients who were placed in a cancer center's EDOU to discern their clinical characteristics and outcomes.

Characteristics of cancer patients with COVID-19 in a cancer hospital.

Background: Cancer patients are vulnerable to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) given their compromised immune system. The purpose of this study was to describe the presenting symptoms, inpatient stay trajectory, and survival outcomes, for cancer patients infected with COVID-19; who presented to the emergency department (ED) of a single center during the early months of the pandemic.

Methods: We reviewed the electronic medical records of all cancer patients diagnosed with COVID-19 at our institution for demographic information, clinical presentation, laboratory findings, treatment intervention and outcomes.