Evaluation of pulmonary function and exercise capacity after COVID-19 pneumonia.
S Okan, F Okan, F Duran Yücesoy
PMID 35305515WHAT IT FOUND
Two months after hospital discharge, 17 of 79 post-COVID pneumonia patients had restrictive lung function, especially after severe/critical disease, but six-minute walk distance did not separate severity groups.
Key findings
01In 79 patients evaluated about two months after discharge from COVID-19 pneumonia hospitalization, 17 had a restrictive pattern on pulmonary function tests.
02Severe/critical patients had significantly lower FEV1%pred and FVC%pred values than moderate patients, but six-minute walk distances did not differ significantly.
03A restrictive pattern was associated with longer hospital stay and older age compared with normal pulmonary function tests, but not with BMI, MVV, or six-minute walk values.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study was cross-sectional and assessed patients about two months after discharge, so it cannot show whether lung function improved, worsened, or persisted over time. Pulmonary function and six-minute walk values before COVID-19 were not known, so it cannot say how much change was due to COVID-19. DLCO was not measured, so diffusion capacity problems may have been missed. Some patients were excluded or not reached, so the 79 patients may not represent all survivors. The critical group had only 6 patients, so severe versus critical differences could not be reliably assessed. The authors' recommendation for pulmonary rehabilitation is from the Discussion, not a tested intervention.
Declared interests
The study received no specific funding, and the authors declared no competing interests.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that the six-minute walk test can identify severe/critical lung damage. The distance did not significantly differ between severity groups, and the authors state it was unable to distinguish severe/critical from moderate disease.