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
. 2024 Jul 16;14(1):16413.
doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-67536-2.

Post-discharge spirometry evaluation in patients recovering from moderate-to-critical COVID-19: a cross-sectional study

Affiliations

Post-discharge spirometry evaluation in patients recovering from moderate-to-critical COVID-19: a cross-sectional study

Chee-Shee Chai et al. Sci Rep. .

Abstract

Understanding the prevalence of abnormal lung function and its associated factors among patients recovering from COVID-19 is crucial for enhancing post-COVID care strategies. This study primarily aimed to determine the prevalence and types of spirometry abnormalities among post-COVID-19 patients in Malaysia, with a secondary objective of identifying its associated factors. Conducted at the COVID-19 Research Clinic, Faculty of Medicine, University Technology MARA, from March 2021 to December 2022, this study included patients at least three months post-discharge from hospitals following moderate-to-critical COVID-19. Of 408 patients studied, abnormal spirometry was found in 46.8%, with 28.4% exhibiting a restrictive pattern, 17.4% showing preserved ratio impaired spirometry (PRISm), and 1.0% displaying an obstructive pattern. Factors independently associated with abnormal spirometry included consolidation on chest X-ray (OR 8.1, 95% CI 1.75-37.42, p = 0.008), underlying cardiovascular disease (OR 3.5, 95% CI 1.19-10.47, p = 0.023), ground-glass opacity on chest X-ray (OR 2.6, 95% CI 1.52-4.30, p < 0.001), and oxygen desaturation during the 6-min walk test (OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.20-3.06, p = 0.007). This study highlights that patients recovering from moderate-to-critical COVID-19 often exhibit abnormal spirometry, notably a restrictive pattern and PRISm. Routine spirometry screening for high-risk patients is recommended.

Keywords: COVID-19; Obstructive; PRISm; Radio-imaging; Restrictive; Spirometry.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Algorithm of patients’ recruitment into the study.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Results of spirometry for 408 patients.

References

    1. Worldometer. COVID - Coronavirus Statistics. https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/? (2024).
    1. Wise J. Covid-19: WHO declares end of global health emergency. BMJ. 2023;381:p1041. doi: 10.1136/bmj.p1041. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Vos LM, et al. Lower respiratory tract infection in the community: Associations between viral aetiology and illness course. Clin. Microbiol. Infect. 2021;27:96–104. doi: 10.1016/j.cmi.2020.03.023. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Hui DS, et al. Impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) on pulmonary function, functional capacity and quality of life in a cohort of survivors. Thorax. 2005;60:401–409. doi: 10.1136/thx.2004.030205. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Ngai JC, et al. The long-term impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome on pulmonary function, exercise capacity and health status. Respirology. 2010;15:543–550. doi: 10.1111/j.1440-1843.2010.01720.x. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

Grants and funding

LinkOut - more resources