Severity and Prevalence in Non-Specific Interstitial Pneumonia and COVID-19 Associated Pneumonia

Abstract

Background: The non-specific clinical presentation and absence of definitive diagnostic markers further complicate the diagnosis of nterstitial lung diseases (ILD), particularly idiopathic interstitial pneumonia (IIP). This study aimed to investigate the clinical and epidemiological characteristics, along with imaging diagnostics, of patients with non-specific interstitial pneumonia (NsIP) in the Samarkand region from 2020 to 2023. Methods: A retrospective analysis of medical records was conducted for 262 patients diagnosed with ILD and hospitalized at the Samarkand State Medical Association (SamSMA). Using a multidisciplinary approach and adhering to the international classification of diseases (ICD-10) criteria, patients were categorized into two groups: those diagnosed with NsIP and a comparison group of patients with COVID-19-associated pneumonia (COVID-19 AP). The patients were further subdivided based on disease severity: moderate (IA) and severe (IB) for the NsIP group, and moderate (IIA) and severe (IIB) for the COVID-19 AP group. Results: The study found that 72.5% of ILD patients had NsIP, predominantly older males. Moderate disease severity was more common in NsIP patients, while severe cases were more prevalent in the COVID-19 AP group. The age groups 45-59 and 60-74 years represented 78% of the NsIP cases. Conclusion: The study found a higher prevalence of NsIP among men, with the majority of cases occurring in older age groups. Moderate disease severity was more common in NsIP patients, contrasting with COVID-19 AP patients, where severe cases were more prevalent.