RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Descriptive analysis of long COVID sequela identified in a multidisciplinary clinic serving hospitalised and non-hospitalised patients
JF ERJ Open Research
JO erjor
FD European Respiratory Society
SP 00205-2021
DO 10.1183/23120541.00205-2021
A1 Stine Johnsen
A1 Stefan M. Sattler
A1 Kamilla Woznica Miskowiak
A1 Keerthana Kunalan
A1 Alan Victor
A1 Lars Pedersen
A1 Helle Frost Andreassen
A1 Barbara Jolanta Jørgensen
A1 Hanne Heebøll
A1 Michael Brun Andersen
A1 Lisbeth Marner
A1 Carsten Hædersdal
A1 Henrik Hansen
A1 Sisse Bolm Ditlev
A1 Celeste Porsbjerg
A1 Thérèse S. Lapperre
YR 2021
UL http://openres.ersjournals.com/content/early/2021/04/22/23120541.00205-2021.abstract
AB Background There is emerging data of long-term effects of COVID-19 comprising a diversity of symptoms. The aim of this study was to systematically describe and measure pulmonary and extra- pulmonary post COVID-19 complications in relation to acute COVID-19 severity.Methods Patients attending a standard of care 3-months post-hospitalisation follow-up visit, and those referred by their general practitioner because of persistent post-COVID-19 symptoms were included. Patients underwent symptomatic, quality of life, pulmonary (lung function and HRCT), cardiac (high resolution ECG), physical (1-MSTST, handgrip strength, CPET) and cognitive evaluations.Results All 34 hospitalised and 22 out of 23 non-hospitalised patients had≥1 complaint or abnormal finding at follow-up. 67% of patients were symptomatic (MRC ≥2 or CAT ≥10), with no difference between hospitalised versus non-hospitalised patients. Pulmonary function (FEV1 or DLCO) <80% of predicted) was impaired in 68% of patients. DLCO was significantly lower in those hospitalised compared to non-hospitalised (70.1±18.0 versus 80.2±11.2% predicted, p=0.02). 53% had an abnormal HRCT (predominantly groundglass opacities) with higher composite CT-scores in hospitalised versus non-hospitalised patients (2.3 [0.1, 4.8] and 0.0 [0.0, 0.3], p<0.001). 1-MSTST was below the 25th percentile in almost half of patients, but no signs of cardiac dysfunction were found. Cognitive impairments were present in 59–66% of hospitalised and 31–44% of non-hospitalised patients (p=0.08).Conclusion Three months after COVID-19 infection, patients were still symptomatic and demonstrated objective respiratory, functional, radiological and cognitive abnormalities, which were more prominent in hospitalised patients. Our study underlines the importance of multidimensional management strategies in these patients.FootnotesThis manuscript has recently been accepted for publication in the ERJ Open Research. It is published here in its accepted form prior to copyediting and typesetting by our production team. After these production processes are complete and the authors have approved the resulting proofs, the article will move to the latest issue of the ERJOR online. Please open or download the PDF to view this article.Conflict of interest: Dr Johnsen has nothing to disclose.Conflict of interest: Dr Sattler has nothing to disclose.Conflict of interest: Dr Miskowiak reports personal feels from Lundbeck outside the submitted work.Conflict of interest: Dr Kunalan has nothing to disclose.Conflict of interest: Dr Victor has nothing to disclose.Conflict of interest: Dr Pedersen has nothing to disclose.Conflict of interest: Dr Andreassen has nothing to disclose.Conflict of interest: Dr Jørgensen has nothing to disclose.Conflict of interest: Dr Heebøll has nothing to disclose.Conflict of interest: Dr Andersen has nothing to disclose.Conflict of interest: Dr Marner has nothing to disclose.Conflict of interest: Dr Hædersdal has nothing to disclose.Conflict of interest: Dr Hansen has nothing to disclose.Conflict of interest: Dr Ditlev has nothing to disclose.Conflict of interest: Dr Porsbjerg has nothing to disclose.Conflict of interest: Dr Lapperre has nothing to disclose.