PULMONARY FUNCTION AND AIRWAY IMPEDANCE IN PATIENTS POST-COVID-19 INFECTION, ONE YEAR AFTER RECOVERY

Abstract

TYPE: Late Breaking Abstract TOPIC: Chest Infections PURPOSE: To evaluate lung function and airway impedance in patients post-mild and severe COVID-19 infection, one year after recovery. METHODS: We conducted a comparative cross-sectional study, in patients aged 18 to 70 years, with COVID-19 infection who did not require hospitalization or supplemental oxygen therapy (mild COVID-19 ) and compared with patients who were hospitalized, treated in intensive care with supplemental oxygen, with non-invasive or invasive mechanical ventilatory support (severe COVID-19). Lung function was assessed one year after infection by forced spirometry, chest computed tomography, and airway impedance (resistance and reactance). RESULTS: 80 patients were studied, 40 with severe COVID-19 and 40 with mild COVID-19; 6 (15%) patients in the mild COVID-19 group and 12 (30%) in the severe COVID-19 had impaired lung function (OR=2.4,CI95%= 0.81-7.30), the restrictive pattern was the most frequent; airway impedance was abnormal in 22 (55%) patients in the mild COVID group and in 28 (70%) patients in the severe COVID (OR=1.70, 95% CI= 0.68-4.22). Impulse oscillometry detected more cases of restrictive pattern than forced spirometry, both in mild COVID-19 (15% vs. 55%) and in severe COVID-19 (30% vs. 70%). CONCLUSIONS: The restrictive type alteration was the most frequent finding in patients post-infection by severe and mild COVID-19. The severity of the infection does not seem to influence the results. In our series, being a woman, obesity and tomographic alterations were the factors most associated with alterations in airway impedance. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Impulse oscillometry could be a more accurate study than spirometry to detect impaired lung function in patients post-COVID-19 infection. DISCLOSURE: No significant relationships. KEYWORD: Post-COVID-19 infection