Abstract
Purpose: Few data are currently available on persistent symptoms and late organ damage in patients who have suffered from COVID-19. This prospective study aimed to evaluate the results of a follow-up program for patients discharged from a nonintensive COVID-19 ward.
Methods: 3-6 months after hospital discharge, 59 of 105 COVID-19 patients (31 males, aged 68.2 ± 12.8 years) were recruited in the study. Forty-six patients were excluded because of nontraceability, refusal, or inability to provide informed consent. The follow-up consisted of anamnesis (including a structured questionnaire), physical examination, blood tests, ECG, lower limb compression venous ultrasound (US), thoracic US, and spirometry with diffusion lung capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO).
Results: 22% of patients reported no residual symptoms, 28.8% 1 or 2 symptoms and 49.2% 3 or more symptoms. The most frequently symptoms were fatigue, exertional dyspnea, insomnia, and anxiety. Among the inflammatory and coagulation parameters, only the median value of fibrinogen was slightly above normal. A deep vein thrombosis was detected in 1 patient (1.7%). Thoracic US detected mild pulmonary changes in 15 patients (25.4%), 10 of which reported exertional dyspnea. DLCO was mildly or moderately reduced in 19 patients (37.2%), 13 of which complained of exertional dyspnea.
Conclusion: These results highlight that a substantial percentage of COVID-19 patients (77.8%) continue to complain of symptoms 3-6 months after hospital discharge. Exertional dyspnea was significantly associated with the persistence of lung US abnormalities and diffusing capacity alterations. Extended follow-up is required to assess the long-term evolution of postacute sequelae of COVID-19.
Keywords: COVID-19; DLCO; Follow-up; Lung ultrasound; Spirometry.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, DLCO, spirometry, Lung ultrasound, Follow-up, 【초록키워드】 Evolution, Anxiety, thrombosis, fatigue, Prospective Study, lung, spirometry, Symptom, Symptoms, ECG, Physical examination, persistence, carbon monoxide, Dyspnea, Patient, Mild, fibrinogen, Insomnia, Informed consent, questionnaire, COVID-19 patients, Deep vein thrombosis, Inflammatory, Thoracic, COVID-19 patient, lower limb, diffusing capacity, blood tests, Deep vein, exertional dyspnea, Residual symptoms, hospital discharge, organ damage, Coagulation parameters, abnormality, diffusion, refusal, anamnesis, venous, males, highlight, lung capacity, evaluate, significantly, recruited, reported, required, reduced, changes in, suffered, discharged, alterations, diffusing, Extended, the median, were excluded, 【제목키워드】 lung, Symptom, persistence, alteration,