COVID-19: Patients suffering from lung, heart damage can improve with time, says study

Patients who are severely infected by vel coronavirus might develop a tendency to go through long-term lung and heart dam. However, for many patients this tendency might improve over time, says a study presented at European Respiratory Society International Congress. Researchers in Tyrolean region of Austria observed various patients affected by vel coronavirus. patients were hospitalised at University Clinic of Internal Medicine in Innsbruck and St Vinzenz Hospital in Zams or cardio-pulmonary rehabilitation centre in Munster, Austria

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study suggests that over 150 patients who were a part of research were asked to return after 6, 12 and 24 weeks of ir discharge from hospital for purpose of evaluation. According to study, at time of first visit, all patients had problem of breathlessness and coughing. Also, CT scans reported lung dam in 88 per cent of patients. However, by second visit, percent had come down to 56 per cent. Dr Sabina Sahanic, who is a clinical PhD student at University Clinic in Innsbruck and part of team that carried out study said, “ bad news is that people show lung impairment from COVID-19 weeks after discharge; good news is that impairment tends to ameliorate over time, which suggests lungs have a mechanism for repairing mselves”. 

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study also included Associate Professor Ivan Tancevski, Professor Judith Loffler-Ragg and Dr Thomas Sonnweber in Innsbruck. As a part of study, during visit of patients, clinical examinations, laboratory tests, analysis of amounts of oxygen and carbon dioxide in arterial blood, lung function tests, computed tomography scans and echocardiograms were carried out on m. According to study, results of CT scan showed that lung dam decreased from 8 points at 6 weeks to 4 points at 12 weeks.

Dr. Sahanic said, “We do t believe left ventricular diastolic dysfunction is specific to COVID-19, but more a sign of severity of disease in general. Fortunately, in Innsbruck cohort, we did t observe any severe coronavirus-associated heart dysfunction in post-acute phase. diastolic dysfunction that we observed also tended to improve with time”. She concluded by saying, “ findings from this study show importance of implementing structured follow-up care for patients with severe COVID-19 infection. Importantly, CT unveiled lung dam in this patient group that was t identified by lung function tests. Kwing how patients have been affected long-term by coronavirus might enable symptoms and lung dam to be treated much earlier and might have a significant impact on furr medical recommendations and advice”.

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As a part of study, it was also suggested that a pulmonary rehabilitation programme could be beneficial for patients who were coming off ventilators. Ms Yara Al Chikhanie, a PhD student at Dieulefit Sante clinic for pulmonary rehabilitation and Hp2 Lab at Greble Alps University, France, used a walking test to evaluate weekly progress of 19 patients. All se patients had spent an aver time of 3 weeks on Intensive Care Unit. se patients had also spent 2 weeks in a pulmonary ward before being transferred to Dieulefit Sante clinic for pulmonary rehabilitation. It was observed that most of se people were still unable to walk and refore y had to spend 3 weeks at rehabilitation. test observed how far patients could walk and it was observed that initially, y were able to walk an aver of 16 per cent of distance that y should have walked rmally if y were healthy. However, this came up to 43 per cent after 3 weeks of pulmonary rehabilitation. Ms Al Chikhanie said, “se findings suggest that doctors should start rehabilitation as soon as possible, that patients should try to spend as little time as possible being inactive and that y should enrol with motivation in pulmonary rehabilitation programme. If ir doctors judge it to be safe, patients should start physical rapy exercises while still in hospital’s pulmonary ward”.

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(With inputs from ANI)

(Im Credits: PTI)