Implementation and findings on a one-minute sit-stand test for prehospital triage in patients with suspected COVID-19—a pilot project

INTRODUCTION: During the initial Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic wave, sparse personal protection equipment made telephone triage of suscpeted COVID-19 patients for ambulance transport necessary. To spare resources, stable patients were often treated and released on-scene, but reports from Italy suggested that some later detoriated. We implemented a prehospital sit-stand test to identify patients in risk for detoriation. METHODS: The test was implemented as part of a new guideline in stable suspected COVID-19 patients younger than 70 years with no risk factors for serious disease triaged by general practitioners to ambulance response in the Central Denmark Region. Data were collected from April 6(th) to July 6(th) 2020. The primary outcome for this study was the proportion of patients treated with oxygen within 7 days among patients decompensating vs patients not decompensating during the test. RESULTS: Data on 156 patients triaged to ambulance response by general practioners were analysed. In total 86/156 (55%) were tested with the sit-stand test. Due to off-guideline use of the test, 30/86 (34.8%) were either older than 70 or had risk factors for serious disease. 10/156 (6%) of patients had a positive COVID-19-test. In total, 17/86 (20%) decompensated during the test and of these, 9/17 (53%) were treated with oxygen compared to 2/69 (3%) in patients who did not decompensate (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: In a population suspected of COVID-19 but with a low COVD-19 prevalence, decompensation with the sit-stand test was observed in 20% of patients and was associated with oxygen treatment within 7 days. These findings are hypotheses-generating and suggest that physical exercise testing may be usefull for decision making in emergency settings. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12873-022-00605-9.