Mike Ruettermann , Jan Peters , Alexander Kaltenborn , Andre Gutcke , Martin Bergold , Oliver Pieske
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Objectives
The term post- or long-COVID syndrome describes >50 possible long-term effects on various organ systems following COVID-19 infection. The pathophysiology of most symptoms remains unclear, and the time course of symptom onset varies widely.
Methods
Using a telephone survey and validated questionnaires we investigated the incidence of musculoskeletal complaints after inpatient treatment for COVID-19 infection compared with patients hospitalized for a non-COVID diagnosis.
Results
112 patients were followed up for least 6 months after discharge (range 6–21 months). Hospitalized and ICU-treated COVID patients showed significant changes in WOMAC scores for the lower extremities (Kruskal-Wallis test, p = 0.005). There is also a significant change in the post-discharge question about new limb complaints (Chi-squared test, p = 0.005), regardless of whether the patients received intensive care or not. The majority of COVID patients with joint or muscle symptoms describe them as widespread and much less frequently as localized and restricted to one region.
Conclusions
In addition to the already known long-term effects, there is evidence that patients with COVID who have been treated in an inpatient setting may also suffer from long-term musculoskeletal effects. Women of working age are particularly affected by the resulting limitations.
期刊介绍:
Health Policy and Technology (HPT), is the official journal of the Fellowship of Postgraduate Medicine (FPM), a cross-disciplinary journal, which focuses on past, present and future health policy and the role of technology in clinical and non-clinical national and international health environments.
HPT provides a further excellent way for the FPM to continue to make important national and international contributions to development of policy and practice within medicine and related disciplines. The aim of HPT is to publish relevant, timely and accessible articles and commentaries to support policy-makers, health professionals, health technology providers, patient groups and academia interested in health policy and technology.
Topics covered by HPT will include:
- Health technology, including drug discovery, diagnostics, medicines, devices, therapeutic delivery and eHealth systems
- Cross-national comparisons on health policy using evidence-based approaches
- National studies on health policy to determine the outcomes of technology-driven initiatives
- Cross-border eHealth including health tourism
- The digital divide in mobility, access and affordability of healthcare
- Health technology assessment (HTA) methods and tools for evaluating the effectiveness of clinical and non-clinical health technologies
- Health and eHealth indicators and benchmarks (measure/metrics) for understanding the adoption and diffusion of health technologies
- Health and eHealth models and frameworks to support policy-makers and other stakeholders in decision-making
- Stakeholder engagement with health technologies (clinical and patient/citizen buy-in)
- Regulation and health economics