TY - JOUR T1 - Functional respiratory complaints among COVID-19 survivors: a prospective cohort study JF - ERJ Open Research JO - erjor DO - 10.1183/23120541.00063-2023 SP - 00063-2023 AU - Antoine Beurnier AU - Laurent Savale AU - Xavier Jaïs AU - Romain Colle AU - Tai Pham AU - Luc Morin AU - Sophie Bulifon AU - Nicolas Noël AU - Athénaïs Boucly AU - Benoit Delbarre AU - Nathan Ebstein AU - Samy Figueiredo AU - Matthieu Gasnier AU - Anatole Harrois AU - Etienne-Marie Jutant AU - Mitja Jevnikar AU - Sophia Keddache AU - Anne-Lise Lecoq AU - Olivier Meyrignac AU - Florence Parent AU - Jérémie Pichon AU - Mariana Preda AU - Anne Roche AU - Andrei Seferian AU - Marie-France Bellin AU - Thomas Gille AU - Emmanuelle Corruble AU - Olivier Sitbon AU - Laurent Becquemont AU - Xavier Monnet AU - Marc Humbert AU - David Montani AU - Comebac Investigators Y1 - 2023/01/01 UR - http://openres.ersjournals.com/content/early/2023/02/09/23120541.00063-2023.abstract N2 - Background Dyspnoea is a common persistent symptom after COVID-19. Whether it is associated with functional respiratory disorders remains unclear.Methods We assessed the proportion and characteristics of patients with “functional respiratory complaints” (FRCs) (as defined by Nijmegen Questionnaire>22) among 177 post-COVID-19 individuals who benefited from outclinic evaluation in the COMEBAC study (i.e., symptomatic and/or ICU survivors at 4 months). In a distinct explanatory cohort of 21 consecutive individuals with unexplained post-COVID-19 dyspnoea after routine tests, we also analysed the physiological responses to incremental cardio-pulmonary exercise testing (CPET).Findings In the COMEBAC cohort, 37 had significant FRCs (20.9%, IC95: 14.9–26.9). The prevalence of FRCs ranged from 7.2% (ICU patients) to 37.5% (non-ICU patients). The presence of FRCs was significantly associated with more severe dyspnoea, lower 6-minute walk distance, more frequent psychological and neurological symptoms (cognitive complaint, anxiety, depression, insomnia and post-traumatic stress disorders) and poorer quality of life (all p<0.01). In the explanatory cohort, 7/21 patients had significant FRCs. Based on CPET, dysfunctional breathing was identified in 12/21 patients, 5/21 had normal CPET, 3/21 had deconditioning and 1/21 had evidence of uncontrolled cardiovascular disease.Interpretation FRCs are common during post-COVID-19 follow-up, especially among patients with unexplained dyspnoea. Diagnosis of dysfunctional breathing should be considered in those cases.Funding Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris.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: Antoine Beurnier reports personal fees from Sanofi, personal fees from Astrazeneca, outside the submitted work.Conflict of Interest: Laurent Savale reports personal fees and non-financial support from Janssen & Janssen, personal fees and non-financial support from MSD, grants, personal fees and non-financial support from GSK, outside the submitted work.Conflict of Interest: Xavier Jaïs reports grants and personal fees from Janssen, grants and personal fees from MSD, grants from Bayer, grants from GSK, outside the submitted work.Conflict of Interest: Thomas Gille reports personal fees from ROCHE S.A.S., other from OXYVIE (oxygen provider), other from VIVISOL France (oxygen provider), other from MENANIRI France, outside the submitted work.Conflict of Interest: Olivier Sitbon reports grants from Acceleron, AOP Orphan, Janssen, GSK, MSD; consulting fees from Altavant, Gossamer Bio, Janssen, MSD; lecture honoraria from AOP Orphan, Janssen, Ferrer, MSD; participation on advisory boards for Acceleron, Altavant, Gossamer Bio, Janssen, MSD, Ferrer; outside the submitted work.Conflict of Interest: Marc Humbert reports grants from Acceleron, AOP Orphan, Janssen, Merck, Shou Ti; consulting fees from Acceleron, Aerovate, Altavant, AOP Orphan, Bayer, Chiesi, Ferrer, Janssen, Merck, MorphogenIX, Shou Ti, United Therapeutics; lecture honoraria from Janssen, Merck; advisory board participation for Acceleron, Altavant, Janssen, Merck, United Therapeutics; outside the submitted work.Conflict of Interest: David Montani reports grants from Acceleron, Janssen, Merck; consulting fees from Acceleron; lecture honoraria from Bayer, Janssen, Merck; outside the submitted work.Conflict of Interest: All other authors have nothing to disclose. ER -