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Annals of Intensive Care

Table 2 Functional, physiological and CT scan data at 3, 6 and 12 months

From: Result of one-year, prospective follow-up of intensive care unit survivors after SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia

 

3 months

(N = 85)

6 months

(N = 80)

12 months

(N = 73)

p-value

M3–M6

p-value

M6–M12

p-value

Mixed model

Dyspnea (mMRC scale)

      

 Number evaluated

83 (97.6%)a

78 (97.5%)a

73 (100%)

   

 0

30 (36.1%)

34 (43.6%)

35 (47.9%)

0.3397

0.1951

NA

 1

39 (47.0%)

32 (41.0%)

34 (46.6%)

   

 2

8 (9.6%)

12 (15.4%)

14 (5.5%)

   

 3–4

6 (7.2%)

0 (0.0%)

0 (0.0%)

   

Oxygen therapy

      

 Ambulatory oxygen therapy

5 (5.9%)

4 (5.0%)

4 (5.5%)

–

–

NA

 Long-term oxygen therapy

3 (3.5%)

1 (1.3%)

1 (1.4%)

0.3173

1

NA

Lung volumes, spirometry and diffusing capacity

     

 FVC (% of pred)

92.0 (80.0–103.6)

99.0 (86.6–112.1)

105.0 (92.0–120.0)

 < 0.0001

 < 0.0001

 < 0.0001

 Altered FVC (Z score FVC < − 1.64)

18 (21.2%)

8 (10.0%)

4 (5.5%)

0.0067

0.1797

NA

 FEV1 (% of pred)

92.0 (81.0–103.2)

99.7 (88.4–115.0)

104.0 (92.0–118.0)

 < 0.0001

 < 0.0001

 < 0.0001

 FEV1/FVC (%)

82.0 (74.0–86.0)

81.5 (74.5–86.0)

81.0 (73.0–85.0)

0.0267

0.0033

0.0275

 FEV1/FVC < 70%

12 (14.1%)

10 (12.5%)

12 (16.4%)

0.5637

0.3173

NA

 DLCO (% of pred)

80.0 (64.0–91.2)

90.9 (79.9–103.8)

98.3 (88.4–106.5)

 < 0.0001

 < 0.0001

 < 0.0001

 Altered DLCO (Z score DLCO < − 1.64)

36 (42.4%)

12 (15.4%)

8 (11.0%)

 < 0.0001

0.3173

NA

 KCO (% of pred)

88.8 (76.5–104.0)

98.3 (86.0–109.5)

102.5 (94.3–114.4)

 < 0.0001

 < 0.0001

 < 0.0001

Respiratory muscle strength

      

 MIP (% of pred)

74.5 (54–95)

89 (70–105)

99 (77–122)

 < 0.0001

0.0002

 < 0.0001

 MEP (% of pred)

50 (40–59)

54 (45–68)

57 (48–69)

0.0095

0.2343

0.0079

 SNIP (% of pred)

84 (68–99)

87 (73–102)

94 (82–120)b

0.0376

 < 0.0001

 < 0.0001

 FVC in supine position (% of pred)

92 (76.5–104)

98 (84–108)

100 (86.5–112.5)§

 < 0.0001

0.0003

 < 0.0001

 Change in FVC in supine position (%)

− 4 ((− 7)–(− 1.5))

− 4 ((− 8)–(− 2))

− 4 ((− 8)–(− 2))c

0.4697

0.5732

0.4534

Blood gas

      

 PaO2 (kPa)

11.1 (10.2–12.3)

–

10.7 (10.1–11.6)

–

–

0.0784

 PaO2 < 9.3 kPa

11 (12.9%)

–

5 (6.8%)

–

–

NA

 PaCO2 (kPa)

4.8 (4.5–5.1)

–

4.9 (4.6–5.2)

–

–

0.1140

6MWT

      

 Number evaluated

79 (92.9%)d

76 (95.0%)f

66 (90.4%)ǁ

–

–

 

 Walked distance (m)

481 (400–564)

549.5 (472.5–600.0)

542 (495–600)

 < 0.0001

0.6211

 < 0.0001

 Walked distance < theoretical distance (%)

50 (63.3%)

26 (34.2%)

18 (27.3%)

 < 0.0001

0.3938

NA

 Loss of 4% or more of SpO2

45 (57.0%)

32 (42.1%)

25 (37.9%)

0.1172

0.2971

NA

 SpO2 < 88% at the end of the test

9 (11.4%)

5 (6.6%)

4 (6.1%)

0.1797

1

NA

 Dyspnea on Borg scale before exercise

0 (0–2)

0 (0–1)

0.5 (0–2)

0.0323

0.0025

0.4059

 Dyspnea on Borg scale after exercise

4 (2–6)

4 (3–6)

4 (3–6)

0.2528

0.4482

0.2724

 Fatigue on Borg scale before exercise

0 (0–3)

0 (0–1)

0 (0–2)

0.0010

0.3471

0.2414

 Fatigue on Borg scale after exercise

3 (1–5)

3 (0–3.5)

2 (0–4)

0.0004

0.7865

0.0646

Respiratory polygraphy

      

 Number evaluated

68 (80.0%)g

–

–

–

–

 

 Sleep apnea syndrome (AHI ≥ 5)

62 (91.2%)

     

 Central events (%)

5.2 (0.6–17.9)

–

–

–

–

 

Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale

      

 Anxiety ≥ 11

7 (8.2%)

7 (8.8%)

7 (9.6%)

0.7055

1

NA

 Depression ≥ 11

3 (3.5%)

4 (5.0%)

3 (4.1%)

0.6547

1

NA

CT scan

      

 Number evaluated

80 (94.1%)h

–

64 (90.1%)i

–

–

 

 Abnormal scan

77 (96.3%)

–

60 (93.8%)

–

–

 

  Reticulations

69 (89.6%)

–

51 (85.0%)

–

–

 

   1–25%

52 (75.4%)

–

42 (82.4%)

–

–

 

   26–50%

14 (20.3%)

–

9 (17.6%)

–

–

 

   51–75%

3 (4.3%)

–

0 (0.0%)

–

–

 

  Traction bronchiectases

53 (68.8%)

–

44 (73.3%)

–

–

 

   1–25%

43 (81.1%)

–

42 (95.5%)

–

–

 

   26–50%

10 (18.9%)

–

2 (4.5%)

–

–

 

  Honeycombing

6 (7.8%)

–

3 (5.0%)

–

–

 

   1–25%

4 (66.7%)

–

3 (100%)

–

–

 

   26–50%

2 (33.3%)

–

0 (0.0%)

–

–

 

  Ground-glass opacities

56 (72.7%)

–

32 (53.3%)

–

–

 

   1–25%

42 (75.0%)

–

30 (93.8%)

–

–

 

   26–50%

10 (17.9%)

–

1 (3.1%)

–

–

 

   51–75%

4 (7.1%)

–

1 (3.1%)

–

–

 

  Emphysema

14 (18.2%)

–

12 (20.0%)

–

–

 

   1–25%

6 (42.9%)

–

5 (41.7%)

–

–

 

   26–50%

3 (21.4%)

–

3 (25.0%)

–

–

 

   51–75%

1 (7.1%)

–

2 (16.7%)

–

–

 

   > 75%

4 (28.6%)

–

2 (16.7%)

–

–

 

Cardiorespiratory stress test

 

–

    

 Number evaluated

–

–

61 (83.6%)j

   

 Pmax (watts)

–

–

123 (103–153)

–

–

 

 VO2 peak (% of pred)

–

–

99 (88–106)

–

–

 
  1. Values are presented as medians (interquartile ranges) or number of patients (percentages)
  2. ICU intensive care unit, FVC forced vital capacity, FEV1  forced expiratory volume in 1 s, DLCO  diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide, FeNO  fractional exhaled nitric oxide, MIP  maximal inspiratory pressure, MEP maximal expiratory pressure, SNIP  sniff nasal inspiratory pressure, 6MWT  six-minute-walk test, CT scan  computerized tomography scan
  3. aDyspnea could not be evaluated for the two same patients at 3 and 6 months because they were not yet able to walk
  4. bSNIP could not be evaluated for 27 patients for technical issue
  5. c1 patient felt faint with head trauma during respiratory evaluation and was unable to continue the examinations
  6. d6 patients were not able to perform the 6MWT at 3 months
  7. e4 patients were not able to perform the 6MWT at 6 months
  8. f7 patients were not able to perform the 6MWT at 12 months
  9. gPolygraph was not available for 11 patients and 6 patients had inoperable polygraphs
  10. h5 patients could not get a CT scan for technical issue
  11. i8 patients had a Chest-X Ray and 1 patient could not get a CT scan for technical issue
  12. j12 patients were not able to perform the cardiorespiratory stress test at 12 months
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