COVID-19: Patient Characteristics in the First Phase of Postintensive Care Rehabilitation.
Carolina M H Wiertz, Wouter A J Vints, Geert J C M Maas and 5 others
PMID 33558860WHAT IT FOUND
Patients arriving for post-ICU rehabilitation after severe COVID-19 had profound weakness, with 72.7% showing severe muscle loss in most major groups.
Forty percent had swallowing difficulties requiring tube feeding or modified food, and 38.3% experienced low oxygen levels during exercise.
Key findings
01Severe muscle weakness was present in 72.7% of patients, defined as strength below 80% of normal values in at least 8 of 10 major muscle groups.
02Forty percent of patients had dysphagia requiring tube feeding or adapted feeding consistency upon admission to rehabilitation.
03Exercise-induced hypoxemia was noted in 38.3% of all patients, despite only 33.3% requiring oxygen at rest.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study included only patients referred to rehabilitation during a specific early phase of the pandemic (April to May 2020), so results may not apply to later waves or different healthcare contexts. Data were collected from a single rehabilitation center, limiting generalizability. Cognitive and mental impairments were not extensively tested in the first week due to the patients' acute medical condition; only self-reported anxiety and fatigue were measured. The study describes characteristics at a single time point (first week of rehabilitation) and does not track long-term outcomes or recovery trajectories.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that normal resting oxygen saturation means the patient can safely exercise. A significant portion of this population experienced hypoxemia only during activity, which was not captured by resting assessments.