CLINICAL AND SUBCLINICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF PATIENTS WITH LONG COVID AT RESPIRATORY OUTPATIENT CLINICS OF TAM ANH HOSPITAL
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Abstract
Background: COVID-19 is a widespread pandemic that has led to a dramatic loss of human life worldwide and presents an unprecedented challenge to public health. Some patients who recover from COVID-19 develop persistent or new symptoms known as “long COVID”. Long COVID is reported to affect a considerable portion of COVID-19 recoverees, which is estimated to be at 10-30%, and symptoms may persist for longer than 1 year. There is fewer clinical and subclinical studies of patients with long COVID-19 in Viet Nam. Therefore, we conducted this study to evaluate some clinical and subclinical characteristics of patients with long COVID-19. Objective: Describe clinical features and paraclinical characteristics in patients with long COVID-19. Subjects and Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried 172 patients with long COVID-19 managed at Tam Anh hospital from February, 2022 to october, 2022. Results: The common symptoms: Fatigue (57%), shortness of breath (51,2%), dry cough (43,6%), chest pain (27,3%), insomnia (25%), and attention disorder or memory impairment (25,3%); Blood tests: AST > 40 U/l (2,9%), ALT > 40 U/l (4,1%), CRP > 0,5 mg/dl (10,1%), Ferritin >300 ng/ml (19,6%), D-dimer > 0,5 µg FEU/ml (9,9%). Chest X-ray: (n=152): bronchial wall thickening (13,2%), consolidation (3,9%), ground-glass opacity (3,9%), nodule (2,6%); Chest CT (n=56): Linear opacity (37,5%), bronchiectasis and bronchial wall thickening (33,9%), ground-glass opacity (21,4%), nodule (19,6%), consolidation (10,7%), pulmonary fibrosis (8,9%); Spirometry: signs of restrictive ventilatory disorder (18,02%), obstructive ventilatory disorder (5,81%); 6 minute walk test (n = 93): Decline in walking distance (87,1%), 6MWD mean: 468,05 ± 61,12 (m). Conclusion: Long COVID-19 is multiorgan syndrome caused persistent health problems. Common symptoms: Fatigue, shortness of breath, shortness of breath, Decline in walking distance after the 6-minute walking test. Long-term monitoring and management of patients with long COVID-19 is required.
Article Details
Keywords
SARS-CoV-2, long COVID-19, spirometry, 6 minute walk test
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