Refeeding Syndrome in Emergency Department Boarders: How COVID-19 Can Reshape Patient Care in the Emergency Department

Emergency departments (EDs) in the United States are the primary drivers of hospital admissions. As the nation continues to experience unrestrained spread of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, causing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), EDs, hospitals, and testing centers are overwhelmed with patients. The consequence of “boarding” admitted patients in EDs leads not only to longer ED wait times for all patients but also delays the medical practice of intensivists and internists while patients await an inpatient bed. Here, we describe the case of an ED boarder with severe COVID-19 who developed refeeding syndrome while boarding in the ED, ultimately requiring in-depth electrolyte and renal management by the ED team before intensive care unit admission.