Self-medication and off-label prescribing in post COVID-19 syndrome: Baseline data of a randomized acupressure and qigong trial

IF 3 4区医学 Q2 INTEGRATIVE & COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE

Integrative Medicine Research Pub Date : 2025-07-05 DOI:10.1016/j.imr.2025.101197

Theresa Bauer , Weronika Grabowska , Miriam Ortiz , Judith Bellmann-Strobl , Ute Engelhardt , Rainer Nögel , Josef Hummelsberger , Andreas Michalsen , Stephanie Roll , Barbara Stöckigt , Hosnya Batram , Anna Mietzner , Carmen Scheibenbogen , Stefan N. Willich , Friedemann Paul , Benno Brinkhaus , Joanna Dietzel

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background

Post COVID-19 syndrome (PCS), characterized by persistent fatigue and multi-systemic symptoms following SARS-CoV-2 infection, emerged as a clinical challenge with limited treatment options and high patient burden. This paper presents the medication history and clinical baseline characteristics of PCS patients recruited in a randomized controlled trial (RCT).

Methods

Patients who reported PCS symptoms of ≥12 weeks after SARS-CoV-2 infection and who met defined fatigue criteria were included in this study. At baseline we assessed among others demographic data, symptom burden, medication history including off-label drug use, dietary supplements, and complementary self-help strategies.

Results

Altogether 235 adult PCS-patients were recruited between June 2022 and June 2023. The study population (mean age 42.1 years, 85.1 % female) reported a mean PCS duration of 56.4 weeks, with 74 % on sick leave. Patients frequently used off-label medications (e.g. antihistamines 9.4 %), supplements (vitamin D 53.6 %, minerals 50.2 %), and herbal medicine products (32.3 %). Most PCS patients had prior experience with complementary medicine. Correlations between fatigue and depressive symptoms (PHQ-9) were modest but notable. No strong associations were found between fatigue and age, sex, PCS duration, or vaccination status.

Conclusion

PCS-patients suffered from long-term complaints that led to a long period of sick leave and resorted to diverse, largely unproven therapeutic strategies amid clinical uncertainty. This baseline analysis highlights the unmet needs of PCS patients. Understanding these baseline patterns is essential for optimizing care pathways and patient-centered management strategies in PCS.

Trial registration

Clinicaltrial.gov (NCT05289154).

查看原文本刊更多论文

COVID-19综合征后自我用药和超说明书处方：一项随机指压和气功试验的基线数据

COVID-19后综合征（PCS）以SARS-CoV-2感染后的持续疲劳和多系统症状为特征，是一项临床挑战，治疗方案有限，患者负担高。本文介绍了一项随机对照试验（RCT）中招募的PCS患者的用药史和临床基线特征。方法在SARS-CoV-2感染后报告PCS症状≥12周且符合规定的疲劳标准的患者纳入本研究。在基线时，我们评估了人口统计数据、症状负担、用药史（包括超说明书用药）、膳食补充剂和辅助自助策略。结果在2022年6月至2023年6月期间共招募了235名成年pcs患者。研究人群（平均年龄42.1岁，85.1%为女性）报告的平均PCS持续时间为56.4周，其中74%请病假。患者经常使用标签外药物（如抗组胺药9.4%），补充剂（维生素D 53.6%，矿物质50.2%）和草药产品（32.3%）。大多数PCS患者有补充医学的经验。疲劳和抑郁症状（PHQ-9）之间的相关性不大，但值得注意。没有发现疲劳与年龄、性别、PCS持续时间或疫苗接种状况之间有很强的关联。结论pcs患者长期主诉导致长时间的病假，在临床不确定的情况下采取了多种未经证实的治疗策略。这一基线分析突出了PCS患者未满足的需求。了解这些基线模式对于优化PCS的护理途径和以患者为中心的管理策略至关重要。试验注册：clinicaltrial .gov （NCT05289154）。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Integrative Medicine Research Medicine-Complementary and Alternative Medicine

CiteScore

6.50

自引率

2.90%

发文量

审稿时长

12 weeks

期刊介绍： Integrative Medicine Research (IMR) is a quarterly, peer-reviewed journal focused on scientific research for integrative medicine including traditional medicine (emphasis on acupuncture and herbal medicine), complementary and alternative medicine, and systems medicine. The journal includes papers on basic research, clinical research, methodology, theory, computational analysis and modelling, topical reviews, medical history, education and policy based on physiology, pathology, diagnosis and the systems approach in the field of integrative medicine.