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Post-Intensive Care COVID Survivorship Clinic: A Single-Center Experience.

ABSTRACT: Patients discharged from the ICU post-COVID-19 pneumonitis may experience long-term morbidity related to their critical illness, the treatment for this and the ICU environment. The aim of this study was to characterize the cognitive, psychologic, and physical consequences of COVID-19 in patients admitted to the ICU and discharged alive.

Design

Prospective cohort study.

Setting

Post-intensive care syndrome (PICS) follow-up clinic at Tallaght University Hospital, a tertiary referral center with a 16-bed mixed medical-surgical ICU, including critical care physicians, a psychologist, a physiotherapist, and a research nurse.

Patients

Patients who had been admitted to the ICU in our tertiary referral center with COVID-19 pneumonitis 6 months earlier.

Interventions

None.

Measurements and main results

A total of 22 patients attended the 6-month PICS follow-up clinic following admission to ICU with COVID-19 pneumonitis. Mean grip strength was low at the 6-month follow-up at 24.1 pounds (sd 9.8) with a minimally active median metabolic equivalent (MET) of 970 METs/wk (interquartile range, 0-7,794 METs/wk). Only 59% of patients were independent with regard to their activities of daily living. Eight of 14 patients (57%) had returned to work by 6 months post-ICU discharge. Their mean Intensive Care Psychological Assessment Tool (IPAT) score was 6.6 (sd 4.6) with a Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5th Edition (PCL-5) score of 21.1 (sd 17.5) and a mean Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score of 24 (sd 8.4); suggestive of mild cognitive impairment. In a multivariable regression model, only Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score was significantly independently associated with MoCA score as a cognitive PICS outcome (beta-coefficient, -1.6; se, 0.6; p = 0.04). None of the predictor variables were significantly independently associated with IPAT and PCL-5 as psychologic outcomes, nor with International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form as a physical PICS outcome.

Conclusions

In this single-center prospective cohort study, we found that patients have a high burden of physical and psychologic impairment at 6 months following ICU discharge post-COVID-19 pneumonitis; in many cases requiring specialist referrals for long-term input. We advocate for increased resources for this much needed follow-up multidisciplinary intervention for an ever-growing population of patients.

SUBMITTER: Gilmartin M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9243244 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:BackgroundThe long-term effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection and optimal follow-up approach are not well-recognised. Here we describe the implementation of a post-COVID clinic in an Irish tertiary centre after the first wave of the pandemic. This study describes the characteristics of our patient cohort and the operations and outcomes of the clinic, exploring some of the risk factors for developing post-COVID syndrome and the appropriateness of the triage system employed.MethodsAll SARS-CoV-2 positive patients from March 10th to June 14th 2020 were telephone-triaged as red, amber or green based on ongoing symptoms with clinic appointments scheduled accordingly. All clinic visits were face-to-face with the infectious diseases medical team and a proforma for each patient was completed. Data were collected retrospectively by reviewing the proformas and the electronic medical record (EMR).Results311 patients attended the clinic. Median time from illness to clinic appointment was 95 days (IQR 77-105.5). 204 patients (66%) were female, 192 (62%) were hospital staff, and the median age was 43 years (IQR 31-53). 138 patients (44%) had required hospital admission. At their first clinic visit 219 patients (70%) had ongoing symptoms. A further appointment was made for 62 patients (20%). 34 patients (11%) were discussed at an MDT meeting, and 55 (18%) were referred onward to a specialist service. 85% of those triaged green, 73% of those triaged amber, and 39% of those triaged red did not receive further follow up after one clinic visit. Patients were more likely to require follow up with reported dyspnoea (OR 5.6; 95% CI 2.8-11.3; p <0.001), cough (OR 3.0; 95% CI 1.1-8.4, p = 0.04), and palpitations (OR 3.6; 95% CI 1.0-12.3; p = 0.04). Female sex was associated with increased odds of a higher triage category (OR 1.8; 95% CI 1.08 to 3.20; p = 0.02), as was requiring admission to hospital (OR 4.0; 95% CI 2.34 to 6.90; p < 0.001).ConclusionThe long-term effects of COVID-19 are significant with 70% of our cohort experiencing persistent symptoms. Persistent dyspnoea, cough and palpitations were associated with increased need for follow up. This study also suggests that a traffic light telephone-triage service followed by a face-to-face medical-led clinic could be an effective way of identifying patients who require further management.

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