Acute respiratory distress syndrome: how do patients fare after the intensive care unit?

Impact on pulmonary, cardiac, and renal function and long-term quality of life after hospitalization for acute respiratory distress syndrome due to COVID-19: Protocol of the Post-COVID Brazil 3 study

RATIONALE

Evidence about long-term sequelae after hospitalization for acute respiratory distress syndrome due to COVID-19 is still scarce.

PURPOSE

To evaluate changes in pulmonary, cardiac, and renal function and in quality of life after hospitalization for acute respiratory distress syndrome secondary to COVID-19.

METHODS

This will be a multicenter case-control study of 220 participants. Eligible are patients who are hospitalized for acute respiratory distress syndrome due to COVID-19. In the control group, individuals with no history of hospitalization in the last 12 months or long-term symptoms of COVID-19 will be selected. All individuals will be subjected to pulmonary spirometry with a carbon monoxide diffusion test, chest tomography, cardiac and renal magnetic resonance imaging with gadolinium, ergospirometry, serum and urinary creatinine, total protein, and urinary microalbuminuria, in addition to quality-of-life questionnaires. Patients will be evaluated 12 months after hospital discharge, and controls will be evaluated within 90 days of inclusion in the study. For all the statistical analyses, p < 0.05 is the threshold for significance.

RESULTS

The primary outcome of the study will be the pulmonary diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide measured after 12 months. The other parameters of pulmonary, cardiac, and renal function and quality of life are secondary outcomes.

CONCLUSION

This study aims to determine the long-term sequelae of pulmonary, cardiac, and renal function and the quality of life of patients hospitalized for acute respiratory distress syndrome due to COVID-19 in the Brazilian population.

Unmasking the hidden aftermath: postintensive care unit sequelae, discharge preparedness, and long-term follow-up

A significant portion of individuals who have experienced critical illness encounter new or exacerbated impairments in their physical, cognitive, or mental health, commonly referred to as postintensive care syndrome. Moreover, those who survive critical illness often face an increased risk of adverse consequences, including infections, major cardiovascular events, readmissions, and elevated mortality rates, during the months following hospitalization. These findings emphasize the critical necessity for effective prevention and management of long-term health deterioration in the critical care environment. Although conclusive evidence from well-designed randomized clinical trials is somewhat limited, potential interventions include strategies such as limiting sedation, early mobilization, maintaining family presence during the intensive care unit stay, implementing multicomponent transition programs (from intensive care unit to ward and from hospital to home), and offering specialized posthospital discharge follow-up. This review seeks to provide a concise summary of recent medical literature concerning long-term outcomes following critical illness and highlight potential approaches for preventing and addressing health decline in critical care survivors.

Effects of physical rehabilitation interventions in COVID-19 patients following discharge from hospital: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

Hospitalized patients recovering from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may experience disability and suffer from significant physical and mental impairment requiring physical rehabilitation following their discharge. However, to date, no attempt has been made to collate and synthesize literature in this area.

OBJECTIVE

This systematic review examines the outcomes of different physical rehabilitation interventions tested in COVID-19 patients who were discharged from hospital.

SEARCH STRATEGY

A systematic search of MEDLINE/PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus and medRxiv was conducted to identify articles published up to March 2022.

INCLUSION CRITERIA

This systematic review included studies of outpatient rehabilitation programs for people recovering from COVID-19 who received physical activity, exercise, or breathing training to enhance or restore functional capacity, pulmonary function, quality of life, and mental health or function.

DATA EXTRACTION AND ANALYSIS

Selection of included articles, data extraction, and methodological quality assessments were conducted by two review authors respectively, and consensus was reached through discussion and consultation with a third reviewer. Finally, we review the outcomes of studies based on four categories including: (1) functional capacity, (2) pulmonary function, (3) quality of life, and (4) mental health status.

RESULTS

A total of 7534 titles and abstracts were screened; 10 cohort studies, 4 randomized controlled trials and 13 other prospective studies involving 1583 patients were included in our review. Early physical rehabilitation interventions applied in COVID-19 patients who were discharged from the hospital improved multiple parameters related to functional capacity, pulmonary function, quality of life and mental health status.

CONCLUSION

Physical rehabilitation interventions may be safe, feasible and effective in COVID-19 patients discharged from the hospital, and can improve a variety of clinically relevant outcomes. Further studies are warranted to determine the underlying mechanisms. Please cite this article as: Rahmati M, Shamsi MM, Woo W, Koyanagi A, Lee SW, Yon DK, Shin JI, Smith L. Effects of physical rehabilitation interventions in COVID-19 patients following discharge from hospital: A systematic review. J Integr Med. 2023; Epub ahead of print.

Post-acute COVID and long-COVID among adults and older adults in the State of Paraná, Brazil: protocol for an ambispective cohort study

INTRODUCTION

Since 2020, the world has been going through a viral pandemic with a high morbidity and mortality rate along with the potential to evolve from an acute infection to post-acute and long-COVID, which is still in the process of elucidation. Diagnostic and prognostic research is essential to understand the complexity of factors and contexts involving the illness's process. This protocol introduces a study strategy to analyse predictors, sequelae, and repercussions of COVID-19 in adults and older adults with different disease severities in the State of Paraná, Brazil.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

A mixed-methods sequential explanatory design. The quantitative data will be conducted by an ambispective cohort study, which will explore the manifestations of COVID-19 for 18 months, with nearly 3000 participants with confirmed diagnoses of COVID-19 (reverse transcription-PCR test) between March and December of 2020, retrieved from national disease reporting databases, over 18 years old, living in a Brazilian State (Paraná) and who survived the viral infection after being discharged from a health service. Data collection will be conducted through telephone interviews, at two different occasions: the first will be a recall 12 months after the acute phase as a retrospective follow-up, and the second will be another prospective interview, with data of the following 6 months. For the qualitative step, Grounded Theory will be used; participants will be selected from the cohort population. The first sample group will be composed of people who were discharged from the intensive care unit, and other sample groups will be composed according to theoretical saturation. The qualitative data will follow the temporal design and classification of the disease provided for in the cohort.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Ethics approval was granted by the State University of Maringá, under opinion number: 4 165 272 and CAAE: 34787020.0.0000.0104 on 21 July 2020, and Hospital do Trabalhador (Worker's Hospital), which is accountable for the Health Department of the State of Paraná, under opinion number: 4 214 589 and CAAE: 34787020.0.3001.5225 on 15 August 2020. The participants will verbally consent to the research, their consent will be recorded, and the informed consent form will be sent by mail or email. Outcomes will be widely disseminated through peer-reviewed manuscripts, conference presentations, media and reports to related authorities.

Assessment of 5-year outcomes of life satisfaction in survivors after rehabilitation programs: a multicenter clinical trial

Using a rehabilitation program for the survivors of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) could be one of the important and fundamental steps to improve the pulmonary function and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients. This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of two rehabilitation techniques (Family-Based Empowerment Model (FECM)/Continuing Care Model (CCM), or both of them) on pulmonary function, and HRQoL in ARDS survivors. From December 2009 to June 2016, ARDS survivors from mixed medical-surgical ICUs at four academic teaching hospitals in Tehran, Iran, were randomly assigned to one of three intervention groups (A, B, or C) or a control group (D). Pre- and post-interventions, pulmonary functions and HRQoL status of patients in all groups were collected 48 times via clinical measurements and various questionnaires during 5 years of follow-up. Significantly improvement was seen in the intervention groups compared to the control group, and the greatest benefit was observed in patients who received mixed of FCEM and CCM rehabilitation techniques. Co-administration of FCEM and CCM can improve pulmonary function as well as the life satisfaction of ARDS survivors. As a result, the execution of the empowerment model by nurses is recommended for ARDS survivors and the participation of their families at the same time.

Trial registration: NCT02787720 (ClinicalTrial.gov, 24/05/2016).

Quality of life of COVID-19 critically ill survivors after ICU discharge: 90 days follow-up

PURPOSE

The onset of the coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic in Italy induced a dramatic increase in the need for intensive care unit (ICU) beds for a large proportion of patients affected by COVID-19-related acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The aim of the present study was to describe the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) at 90 days after ICU discharge in a cohort of COVID-19 patients undergoing invasive mechanical ventilation and to compare it with an age and sex-matched sample from the general Italian and Finnish populations. Moreover, the possible associations between clinical, demographic, social factors, and HRQoL were investigated.

METHODS

COVID-19 ARDS survivors from 16 participating ICUs were followed up until 90 days after ICU discharge and the HRQoL was evaluated with the 15D instrument. A parallel cohort of age and sex-matched Italian population from the same geographic areas was interviewed and a third group of matched Finnish population was extracted from the Finnish 2011 National Health survey. A linear regression analysis was performed to evaluate potential associations between the evaluated factors and HRQoL.

RESULTS

205 patients answered to the questionnaire. HRQoL of the COVID-19 ARDS patients was significantly lower than the matched populations in both physical and mental dimensions. Age, sex, number of comorbidities, ARDS class, duration of invasive mechanical ventilation, and occupational status were found to be significant determinants of the 90 days HRQoL. Clinical severity at ICU admission was poorly correlated to HRQoL.

CONCLUSION

COVID-19-related ARDS survivors at 90 days after ICU discharge present a significant reduction both on physical and psychological dimensions of HRQoL measured with the 15D instrument.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

NCT04411459.

Functional capacity and rehabilitation strategies in Covid-19 patients: current knowledge and challenges

Covid-19 is a novel infectious disease whose spectrum of presentation ranges from absence of symptoms to widespread interstitial pneumonia associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), leading to significant mortality. Given the systemic pattern of Covid-19, there are many factors that can influence patient's functional capacity after acute infection and the identification of such factors can contribute to the development of specific rehabilitation strategies. Pulmonary impairment is the primary cause of hospitalization due to Covid-19, and can progress to SARS as well as increase length of hospitalization. Moreover, cardiac involvement is observed in approximately 30% of hospitalized patients, with an increased risk of acute myocarditis, myocardial injury, and heart failure, which may compromise functional capacity in the long-term. Thromboembolic complications have also been reported in some patients with Covid-19 and are associated with a poor prognosis. Musculoskeletal complications may result from long periods of hospitalization and immobility, and can include fatigue, muscle weakness and polyneuropathy. Studies that address the functional capacity of patients after Covid-19 infection are still scarce. However, based on knowledge from the multiple systemic complications associated with Covid-19, it is reasonable to suggest that most patients, especially those who underwent prolonged hospitalization, will need a multiprofessional rehabilitation program. Further studies are needed to evaluate the functional impact and the rehabilitation strategies for patients affected by Covid-19.