Predictors of Postacute Sequelae of COVID-19 Development and Rehabilitation: A Retrospective Study.
Nermine Abdelwahab, Nicholas E Ingraham, Nguyen Nguyen and 10 others
PMID 35569640WHAT IT FOUND
Nearly half of adults with confirmed COVID-19 developed post-acute sequelae (PASC) defined as new symptoms lasting at least 31 days.
Patients with PASC used significantly more rehabilitation services, including physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech-language pathology, both during and after their initial infection.
Key findings
01The frequency of PASC in the adult population was 42.8%.
02Patients with PASC had a higher frequency of rehabilitation services during COVID-19 (8.6% vs 3.8%) and after COVID-19 (8.4% vs 3.0%) compared to those without PASC.
03Requiring inpatient admission was a risk factor for developing PASC (OR, 1.97; 95% CI, 1.77-2.19; P <.001).
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The study is retrospective and observational, so it cannot prove that any specific factor caused PASC or rehabilitation need. There was no control group of patients with other viral illnesses, so it is unclear if these rates are unique to COVID-19 or typical of post-viral syndromes. Symptom data was extracted from electronic health records using automated text analysis, which may miss nuances or inaccuracies in clinician documentation. The definition of PASC relied on new symptoms appearing after 31 days, which may exclude patients with fluctuating or earlier-onset chronic issues. Patients who died during the initial acute infection were excluded, potentially underestimating the severity of outcomes in the most vulnerable groups.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS).
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the odds ratios as proof that specific comorbidities cause PASC or that ACE inhibitors/ARBs prevent rehabilitation needs. These are associations found in a retrospective dataset without a non-COVID control group, and the text notes that medication lists in records do not confirm actual adherence or use.