Photo Credit: freepik
The following is a summary of “Predictors of the presence of radiological abnormalities 6 months after severe COVID-19 pneumonia,” published in the August 2024 issue of Infectious Disease by Roig-Martí et al.
SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia can lead to long-term radiological changes, similar to pulmonary fibrosis, with unidentified risk factors.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to assess radiological abnormalities and the risk factors for 6 months after hospital discharge due to COVID-19 pneumonia.
They conducted a cross-sectional study at a tertiary hospital, including adults admitted for COVID-19 pneumonia from March 2020 to February 2021 who underwent high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) chest scans six months after discharge. The primary outcome was radiological abnormalities on HRCT, while the main variables were derived from the patient’s medical histories, disease courses, analytical indicators, and treatments received during the admission.
The results showed that the 189 patients had a mean age of 61.5 years, with 70.9% being male with hypertension as comorbidity (45%). Approximately two-thirds (67.2%) experienced acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Most patients (97.9%) received systemic corticosteroid therapy, and 81% had pathological findings on HRCT, primarily ground-glass opacities (63.5%), followed by bronchial dilatation (36%) and subpleural bands (25.4%). Multivariable analysis revealed that age was the primary risk factor associated with most radiological changes. Other significant factors included the duration of corticosteroid therapy for ground-glass opacities (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.020), a longer stay in the intensive care unit (ICU) for overall changes (aOR 1.290), and high levels of IL-6 associated with bronchial dilation (aOR 1.002).
They concluded lung radiological involvement, particularly ground-glass opacities, is joint 6 months after COVID-19 pneumonia. Elderly patients with prolonged ICU stays and high IL-6 levels are more likely to exhibit worse radiological outcomes and are considered for follow-up imaging.
Source: bmcinfectdis.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12879-024-09767-2
