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. 2023 Jan 23:3:1093871.
doi: 10.3389/fresc.2022.1093871. eCollection 2022.

First results from post-COVID inpatient rehabilitation

Alexa Kupferschmitt  1   2   3 , Eike Langheim  4 , Haris Tüter  1 , Franziska Etzrodt  4 , Thomas H Loew  1 , Volker Köllner  2   3
Affiliations

First results from post-COVID inpatient rehabilitation

Alexa Kupferschmitt et al. Front Rehabil Sci. .

Abstract

Background: COVID-19 is associated with various symptoms and psychological involvement in the long term. In view of the multifactorial triggering and maintenance of the post-COVID syndrome, a multimodal therapy with somatomedical and psychotherapeutic content is expedient. This paper compares the psychological stress of post-COVID patients and their course in rehabilitation to psychosomatic and psychocardiological patients.

Method: Observational study with control-groups and clinical, standardized examination: psychological testing (BDI-II, HELATH-49), 6-MWT as somatic parameter, two measurement points (admission, discharge). Sample characteristics, including work related parameters, the general symptom-load and the course of symptoms during rehabilitation are evaluated.

Results: At admission in all measures post-COVID patients were significantly affected, but less pronounced than psychosomatic or psychocardiological patients (BDI-II post-COVID = 19.29 ± 9.03, BDI-II psychosomatic = 28.93 ± 12.66, BDI-II psychocardiology = 24.47 ± 10.02). During rehabilitation, in all complaint domains and sub-groups, symptom severity was significantly reduced (effect sizes ranging from d = .34 to d = 1.22). Medium positive effects were seen on self-efficacy (d = .69) and large effects on activity and participation (d = 1.06) in post-COVID patients. In the 6-MWT, the walking distance improved by an average of 76.43 ± 63.58 meters (d = 1.22). Not a single patient deteriorated in walking distance, which would have been a possible sign of post exercise malaise (PEM).

Conclusion: Post-COVID patients have a slighter psychological burden as psychocardiological or psychosomatic patients. Although rehabilitation is not curative, post-COVID patients benefit significantly from the interventions and there were no signs of PEM.

Keywords: inpatient rehabilitation; post-COVID-Syndrome; psychocardiology; psychosomatic; treatment effect.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Development of 6MWT during rehabilitation of post-COVID patients. Development of 6 Min Walk Test (6MWT) of the single patients during rehabilitation of post-COVID (colored thin lines, n = 39) in the beginning (t0) and in the end of the rehabilitation (t1) and mean value (thick yellow line).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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