acep_covid19_management: ACEP ED COVID-19 Management Tool (Severity Classification)

In cliot: Clinical Indices and Outcomes Tools

ACEP ED COVID-19 Management Tool (Severity Classification)

Description

Classifies the severity of COVID-19 infection in adult patients presenting to the Emergency Department based on the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) COVID-19 Management Tool guidelines. The classification (Mild, Moderate, Severe, Critical) is used to guide diagnostic testing, disposition, and treatment decisions.

Usage

acep_covid19_management(spo2, resp_rate, signs_of_shock_mods = FALSE,
                        resp_failure = FALSE, lower_resp_disease = FALSE,
                        infiltrates_gt_50 = FALSE, pao2_fio2 = NULL,
                        symptoms_present = TRUE)

Arguments

spo2	Numeric. Oxygen saturation (%) on room air.
resp_rate	Numeric. Respiratory rate in breaths per minute.
signs_of_shock_mods	Logical. Presence of septic shock or multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS).
resp_failure	Logical. Presence of respiratory failure requiring advanced support.
lower_resp_disease	Logical. Evidence of lower respiratory disease during clinical assessment or imaging (e.g., pneumonia).
infiltrates_gt_50	Logical. Lung infiltrates > 50% on chest imaging.
pao2_fio2	Numeric (Optional). Ratio of arterial partial pressure of oxygen to fraction of inspired oxygen (PaO2/FiO2).
symptoms_present	Logical. Presence of any COVID-19 symptoms (fever, cough, etc.). Defaults to TRUE.

Value

A list containing:

Severity_Classification	The assigned severity category (Mild, Moderate, Severe, Critical).
Clinical_Definition	Description of the criteria met for the classification.
Suggested_Management	General disposition and treatment recommendations based on ACEP guidelines.

References

American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP). ACEP COVID-19 Field Guide: Emergency Department COVID-19 Management Tool. 2023 Update.

Examples

# Example 1: Severe Illness
# SpO2 92%, RR 22, Positive Infiltrates (but not >50%)
# Severity driven by Hypoxia (SpO2 < 94%)
acep_covid19_management(spo2 = 92, resp_rate = 22, lower_resp_disease = TRUE)

# Example 2: Mild Illness
# SpO2 98%, RR 16, Symptoms present, No lower respiratory disease
acep_covid19_management(spo2 = 98, resp_rate = 16, lower_resp_disease = FALSE)

# Example 3: Critical Illness
# Shock present
acep_covid19_management(spo2 = 88, resp_rate = 35, signs_of_shock_mods = TRUE)

cliot documentation built on Dec. 1, 2025, 1:06 a.m.