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Case Reports
. 2021 Feb;49(1):153-157.
doi: 10.1007/s15010-020-01474-9. Epub 2020 Jul 28.

Pulmonary function in patients surviving to COVID-19 pneumonia

Alessia Fumagalli  1 , Clementina Misuraca  1 , Achille Bianchi  1 , Noemi Borsa  1 , Simone Limonta  2 , Sveva Maggiolini  1 , Daniela Rita Bonardi  1 , Andrea Corsonello  3 , Mirko Di Rosa  4 , Luca Soraci  4 , Fabrizia Lattanzio  5 , Daniele Colombo  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

Pulmonary function in patients surviving to COVID-19 pneumonia

Alessia Fumagalli et al. Infection. 2021 Feb.

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of our study was to assess respiratory function at the time of clinical recovery and 6 weeks after discharge in patients surviving to COVID-19 pneumonia.

Methods: Our case series consisted of 13 patients with COVID-19 pneumonia.

Results: At the time of clinical recovery, FEV1 (2.07 ± 0.72 L) and FVC (2.25 ± 0.86 L) were lower compared to lower limit of normality (LLN) values (2.56 ± 0.53 L, p = 0.004, and 3.31 ± 0.65 L, p < 0.001, respectively), while FEV1/FVC (0.94 ± 0.07) was higher compared to upper limit of normality (ULN) values (0.89 ± 0.01, p = 0.029). After 6 weeks pulmonary function improved but FVC was still lower than ULN (2.87 ± 0.81, p = 0.014).

Conclusion: These findings suggest that COVID-19 pneumonia may result in clinically relevant alterations in pulmonary function tests, with a mainly restrictive pattern.

Keywords: COVID-19; Pneumonia; Spirometry.

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Conflict of interest statement

All Authors declare to have no conflict of interest/competing interest to disclose with this manuscript.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Pulmonary function tests at the time of clinical recovery (i.e. the day before discharge) and 6 weeks after discharge in the patients studied
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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