Quality of life of people with and without respiratory complications in post-COVID-19 syndrome: a retrospective study.
Larissa Bento de Araújo Mendonça, Francisca Elisangela Teixeira Lima, Lívia Maia Pascoal and 5 others
PMID 42659491WHAT IT FOUND
Among 300 people, those with respiratory complications after COVID-19 self-reported worse quality of life than those without, especially in pain, physical function, and daily roles.
Key findings
01Participants with respiratory complications after COVID-19 reported lower quality of life than participants without complications in all eight SF-36 domains.
02On the SF-36 scale from zero to 100, the case group had mean scores 11.3 points lower for bodily pain, 9.8 points lower for role limitations due to physical health problems, and 7.9 points lower for physical functioning than controls.
03Among the case group, SGRQ activity scores averaged 57.6 and symptoms scores averaged 33.2, and lower SGRQ scores mean better respiratory quality of life.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Quality of life was self-reported, and participants recalled past symptoms and complications. The online form may have selected for people with access to and comfort with digital technology. The study measured quality of life at one time point, so it cannot show whether symptoms improved or worsened over time. The design cannot prove that respiratory complications caused lower quality of life; infection severity and comorbidities may have contributed. The Saint George's Respiratory Questionnaire was given only to the case group, so its scores cannot be compared with controls. The authors note little stratification by infection severity and few confirmed respiratory comorbidities.
Declared interests
The paper states funding by CNPq/DECIT/MCTIC under Call 21/2023.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the worse quality of life scores as proof that respiratory complications caused them. This was a retrospective self-report comparison, and the authors note recall bias, selection bias, measurement at one time point, and possible confounding by severity and comorbidities.