Abstract
Background: The outbreak of the novel coronavirus 19 has led to unprecedented clinical challenges globally. Various therapeutic and pharmacologic interventions have been proposed, yet evidence of their long-term efficacy remains limited. Corticosteroids (CS) have shown efficacy in the sub-acute phase of the pandemic. This study aims to evaluate the long-term effects on pulmonary function tests (PFTs) in patients treated with CS during acute coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted from February 2020 to March 2021. Clinical and demographic data were extracted from electronic medical records of patients attending the post-COVID outpatient clinic at the Pulmonary Institute of Soroka University Medical Center. A multivariate linear mixed effects model was employed to obtain adjusted estimates for the impact over time. Results: The study included 405 patients, of whom 155 (38.3%) received CS treatment. Approximately 60% completed two or more follow-up visits. PFTs [forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC)] returned to baseline more rapidly (0.9% and 0.85% per month, respectively) in patients treated with CS. This accelerated recovery was observed across all patients, including those with a body mass index (BMI) above 30 kg/m2 and those with known chronic lung disease. Conclusions: Systemic CS treatment during acute COVID-19 infection was associated with a faster recovery of PFTs during long-term follow-up, even among subgroups at higher risk of long-term pulmonary damage.
Original language | American English |
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Pages (from-to) | 4994-5004 |
Number of pages | 11 |
Journal | Journal of Thoracic Disease |
Volume | 16 |
Issue number | 8 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 31 Aug 2024 |
Keywords
- Corticosteroid (CS)
- coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
- infection
- pulmonary
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine