Impact of coronavirus disease 2019 on pulmonary function in early convalescence phase

Yiying Huang,Jin Huang,Xinran Liu,Chaolin Chen,Fen Gao,Xiaoling Huang,Cuiyan Tan,Xiaorong Zhou,Jian Wu,Shican Yuan,Liyun Luo,Hong Shan,Zhenguo Wang,Jing Liu,Meizhu Chen

doi:10.1186/s12931-020-01429-6

Yiying Huang, Jin Huang + Show 13 more

Open Access

PDF Available

https://doi.org/10.1186/s12931-020-01429-6

Copy DOI

Export

Save

Cite

Abstract
Highlights/Summary
Full-Text PDF
Similar Papers

Abstract

Listen

ObjectiveThis study investigated the influence of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) on lung function in early convalescence phase.MethodsA retrospective study of COVID-19 patients at the Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University were conducted, with serial assessments including lung volumes (TLC), spirometry (FVC, FEV1), lung diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO),respiratory muscle strength, 6-min walking distance (6MWD) and high resolution CT being collected at 30 days after discharged.ResultsFifty-seven patients completed the serial assessments. There were 40 non-severe cases and 17 severe cases. Thirty-one patients (54.3%) had abnormal CT findings. Abnormalities were detected in the pulmonary function tests in 43 (75.4%) of the patients. Six (10.5%), 5(8.7%), 25(43.8%) 7(12.3%), and 30 (52.6%) patients had FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC ratio, TLC, and DLCO values less than 80% of predicted values, respectively. 28 (49.1%) and 13 (22.8%) patients had PImax and PEmax values less than 80% of the corresponding predicted values. Compared with non-severe cases, severe patients showed higher incidence of DLCO impairment (75.6%vs42.5%, p = 0.019), higher lung total severity score (TSS) and R20, and significantly lower percentage of predicted TLC and 6MWD. No significant correlation between TSS and pulmonary function parameters was found during follow-up visit.ConclusionImpaired diffusing-capacity, lower respiratory muscle strength, and lung imaging abnormalities were detected in more than half of the COVID-19 patients in early convalescence phase. Compared with non-severe cases, severe patients had a higher incidence of DLCO impairment and encountered more TLC decrease and 6MWD decline.

Highlights

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a new and highly contagious respiratory disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2), which presented a risk of infection from human to human [1]
Characteristics of the enrolled COVID-19 patients This study evaluated a total of 102 patients
Twenty-four patients were not included as it was less than 30 days after discharge

Summary

Introduction

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a new and highly contagious respiratory disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2), which presented a risk of infection from human to human [1]. As of 7 June, 2020, there were 6,663,304 confirmed cases and 392,802 confirmed deaths globally. It might progress rapidly, and some patients developed respiratory failure early in the disease. No study have reported early prognosis in relation to the degree of lung injury and rehabilitation in patients with COVID-19. Retrospective study showed that many patients had imaging abnormalities when discharged, a few patients even had pulmonary fibrosis. Lung function damage of patients with COVID-19 in early convalescence phase deserves attention. In order to have a more comprehensive understanding of the possible clinical outcomes of COVID-19, we conducted a retrospective study involving 57 discharged but undergoing rehabilitation COVID19 patients. We compared severe patients with non-severe patients by outcome parameters

Methods

Results

Conclusion