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. 2023 May;22(3):581-586.
doi: 10.1016/j.jcf.2022.09.006. Epub 2022 Sep 16.

Clinical outcomes of adults and children with cystic fibrosis during the COVID-19 pandemic

Michael Doumit  1 , Sandra Chuang  2 , Peter Middleton  3 , Hiran Selvadurai  4 , Sheila Sivam  5 , Rasa Ruseckaite  6 , Susannah Ahern  7 , Kylie Ann Mallitt  8 , Verity Pacey  9 , Kelly Gray  9 , Adam Jaffe  2
Affiliations

Clinical outcomes of adults and children with cystic fibrosis during the COVID-19 pandemic

Michael Doumit et al. J Cyst Fibros. 2023 May.

Abstract

Background: The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with restricted community movement and limited access to healthcare facilities, resulting in changed clinical service delivery to people with cystic fibrosis (CF). This study aimed to determine clinical outcomes of Australian adults and children with CF in the 12-months following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: This longitudinal cohort study used national registry data. Primary outcomes were 12-month change in percent predicted forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1 %pred), body mass index (BMI) in adults and BMI z-scores in children. A piecewise linear mixed-effects model was used to determine trends in outcomes before and after pandemic onset.

Results: Data were available for 3662 individuals (median age 19.6 years, range 0-82). When trends in outcomes before and after pandemic onset were compared; FEV1 %pred went from a mean annual decline of -0.13% (95%CI -0.36 to 0.11) to a mean improvement of 1.76% (95%CI 1.46-2.05). Annual trend in BMI improved from 0.03 kg/m2 (95%CI -0.02-0.08) to 0.30 kg/m2 (95%CI 0.25-0.45) and BMI z-scores improved from 0.05 (95%CI 0.03-0.07) to 0.12 (95%CI 0.09-0.14). Number of hospitalisations decreased from a total of 2656 to 1957 (p < 0.01). Virtual consultations increased from 8% to 47% and average number of consultations per patient increased from median (IQR) of 4(2-5) to 5(3-6) (p < 0.01).

Conclusion: In the 12-months following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an improvement in the clinical outcomes of people with CF when compared to the pre-pandemic period.

Keywords: COVID-19; Cystic fibrosis; Telehealth.

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