Physical activity levels respiratory and peripheral muscle strength and pulmonary function in young post-COVID-19 patients : A cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVE

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) causes permanent problems, even mild severity. The long-term consequences of COVID-19 are still unknown. This study aimed to investigate physical activity levels, respiratory and peripheral muscle strength, and pulmonary function in the long term in young adult COVID-19 patients who recovered from mild disease.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was carried out at least 6 months after the COVID-19 diagnosis, 54 patients with COVID-19 (median age: 20 years) and 46 controls (median age: 21 years) were compared. Functional status (post-COVID-19 functional status scale), respiratory (maximum inspiratory and expiratory pressures (MIP, MEP)) and peripheral muscle strength (dynamometer), pulmonary function (Spirometry), dyspnea and fatigue (modified Borg scale), and physical activity levels (International Physical Activity Questionnaire) were evaluated.

CLINICALTRIAL NUMBER

NCT05381714.

RESULTS

Patients with COVID-19 measured and percent predicted MIP and MEP were statistically decreased compared with the controls (p < 0.05). Shoulder abductors muscle strength (p < 0.001) and the number of individuals with low physical activity levels were significantly higher in patients compared with controls (p = 0.048). Pulmonary function, quadriceps muscle strength, exertional dyspnea, and fatigue scores were similar in groups (p > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Respiratory and peripheral muscle strength and physical activity levels are adversely affected in patients with COVID-19, even though the patients were mildly affected in the long term. Also, symptoms such as dyspnea and fatigue may persist. Therefore, these parameters should be evaluated in the long term, even in young adults who are mildly affected by COVID-19.

Point-of-care chest ultrasound to diagnose acute heart failure in emergency department patients with acute dyspnea: diagnostic performance of an ultrasound-based algorithm

OBJECTIVES

Cardiopulmonary ultrasound imaging can be useful for diagnosing acute heart failure (AHF). We aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of an algorithm based on point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) in patients coming to the emergency department with acute dyspnea.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Prospective analysis of a convenience sample of patients with acute dyspnea in 2 hospital emergency departments. The POCUS algorithm included lung ultrasound findings and 3 echocardiographic measurements taken from an apical view of 4 chambers: mitral annular plane systolic excursion, Doppler mitral flow velocity, and tissue Doppler imaging of the lateral mitral annulus. The definitive diagnosis was made by 2 physicians blinded to the POCUS findings.

RESULTS

A total of 103 adult patients with a mean (SD) age of 73 (12) years were included; about half (51 patients) were women. Forty-two patients (41%) were finally diagnosed with AHF. Interindividual agreement on the physicians' diagnoses was good (k = 0.82). The POCUS algorithm assigned an AHF diagnosis to 76 patients (74%); 56 of them (85%) were in sinus rhythm. The diagnostic performance indicators for the algorithm were as follows: area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, 0.94 (95% CI, 0.88-1.00); sensitivity 96% (95% CI, 78%-100%); specificity, 93% (95% CI, 8%-98%); positive predictive value, 85% (95% CI, 67%-100%); negative predictive value, 98% (95% CI, 88%-100%).

CONCLUSION

The POCUS-based algorithm for diagnosing AHF performed well in patients coming to the emergency department with acute dyspnea.