Admission Criteria and Successful Care of Adults in a Tertiary Care Pediatric Hospital During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Objective: The purpose of this study was to review the health outcomes of adult patients selected using admission criteria and subsequently admitted on pediatric wards and intensive care unit (PICU) of the Montreal Children’s Hospital (MCH) in Canada during the first and second waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted and included all adult patients hospitalized at the MCH on pediatric units between March 14, 2020 and March 31, 2021. Results : Forty adults were admitted to MCH pediatric units. The median age was 28.5 years. There were 26 females and 14 were males. The average length of stay (LOS) at the MCH was 6.3 days. There were 32 consultations from adult medical consultants performed at the MCH. Seventeen incident reports were completed. There were no in-hospital deaths and 6 in-hospital incidents were reported. Of the 24 patients that were discharged home from the MCH units, 1 patient (4%) returned, and an additional 4 patients (16.6%) returned within 30 days. Conclusion : With clear admission criteria, careful planning, and well-planned supportive resources treating adult patients within a pediatric care facility by pediatric care teams also caring for pediatric patients in the same units could be considered as a safe contingency plan in a time of crisis.