%0 Journal Article %A David Lanham %A Jennifer Roe %A Alisha Chauhan %A Rebecca Evans %A Toby Hillman %A Sarah Logan %A Melissa Heightman %T COVID-19 emergency department discharges: an outcome study %D 2021 %R 10.7861/clinmed.2020-0817 %J Clinical Medicine %P e126-e131 %V 21 %N 2 %X Pressure on acute medical services in the pandemic mandated an assertive emergency department (ED) discharge policy. Given the potential for subsequent deterioration and growing appreciation of complications relating to COVID-19 infection, this follow up study was instigated to provide clinical reassurance that discharged patients had followed a safe clinical course. 199 patients discharged from the ED of our central London hospital were identified over a 20-day period at the height of the pandemic in April 2020. 44 had already reattended ED and 12 had been admitted. At 2-week telephone follow-up, 14 patients were identified who required urgent recall for assessment. At 4-week telephone follow-up, 87 patients were identified with persistent symptoms requiring face to face review. A COVID-19 follow-up clinic was therefore established to provide multi-professional review and diagnostics. 65 patients attended for this assessment. This is the first report on outcomes in COVID-19 infected patients discharged from an ED. It highlights the importance of safety-netting after discharge, the difficulty in predicting which patients might deteriorate and the need for appropriate follow up services. %U https://www.rcpjournals.org/content/clinmedicine/21/2/e126.full.pdf