Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Observational Study
. 2023 Feb 10;18(2):e0281098.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0281098. eCollection 2023.

Ultrasound imaging assessment of the diaphragm and abdominal muscles in people with a recent history of moderate Covid-19 infection and healthy participants: A cross-sectional pilot study

Carlos Romero-Morales  1 , Deborah Falla  2 , Daniel Pecos-Martín  3 , Guillermo García-Pérez-de-Sevilla  1 , Paula García-Bermejo  1 , Emmanuel Navarro-Flores  4 , Daniel López-López  5
Affiliations
Observational Study

Ultrasound imaging assessment of the diaphragm and abdominal muscles in people with a recent history of moderate Covid-19 infection and healthy participants: A cross-sectional pilot study

Carlos Romero-Morales et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

Coronavirus disease (Covid-19) is a highly infectious disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus and is associated with a decrease of respiratory, physical, and psychological function, subsequently affecting quality of life. The aim of the present pilot study was to use ultrasound imaging (USI) to evaluate and compare the thickness of the diaphragm and abdominal muscles between individuals recently diagnosed with moderate Covid-19 infection and healthy individuals.

Methods: A cross-sectional observational pilot study was performed. A total sample of 24 participants were recruited from a private medical center (Madrid, Spain): Covid-19 (n = 12) and healthy controls (n = 12). The external oblique (EO), internal oblique (IO), transversus abdominis (TrA), rectus abdominis (RA), interrecti distance (IRD) and diaphragm thickness were assessed using USI during inspiration, expiration and during contraction.

Results: USI measurements of the thickness of EO, IO, TrA, RA, IRD and the diaphragm did not differ significantly between groups during inspiration, expiration or during contraction (all P > 0.05).

Conclusions: These preliminary results suggest that the morphology of the abdominal muscles and diaphragm is not altered in people with a recent history of moderate Covid-19 infection.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interest exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. Ultrasonography of the abdominal wall muscles and IRD.
Fig 2
Fig 2. Ultrasonography of the diaphragm muscle.
Fig 3
Fig 3. Ultrasonography comparisons between moderate Covid-19 infection and healthy participants.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Seid AA, Aychiluhm SB, Mohammed AA. Effectiveness and feasibility of telerehabilitation in patients with COVID-19: a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ Open. 2022. Jan;12(1):e058932. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-058932 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Groff D, Sun A, Ssentongo AE, Ba DM, Parsons N, Poudel GR, et al.. Short-term and Long-term Rates of Postacute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 Infection: A Systematic Review. JAMA Netw open. 2021;4(10). doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.28568 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Disser NP, De Micheli AJ, Schonk MM, Konnaris MA, Piacentini AN, Edon DL, et al.. Musculoskeletal Consequences of COVID-19. J Bone Jt Surg Am. 2020;102:1197–204. doi: 10.2106/JBJS.20.00847 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Ruan Q, Yang K, Wang W, Jiang L, Song J. Clinical predictors of mortality due to COVID-19 based on an analysis of data of 150 patients from Wuhan, China. Intensive Care Med. 2020;46(5):846–8. doi: 10.1007/s00134-020-05991-x - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Zhao X, Li Y, Ge Y, Shi Y, Lv P, Zhang J, et al.. Evaluation of Nutrition Risk and Its Association With Mortality Risk in Severely and Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients. JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr. 2021;45(1):32–42. doi: 10.1002/jpen.1953 - DOI - PMC - PubMed

Publication types