COVID-19: Patient care after discharge from the Intensive Care Unit

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology
• Infectious Diseases
• Critical Care Medicine

Background:

• Tertiary care centers manage severe COVID-19 cases requiring intensive care.
• Post-intensive care necessitates specialized medical and psychological support for COVID-19 patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the complementary medical and psychological care provided to COVID-19 patients in an endocrinology department after intensive care.
• To assess the nutritional status, psychological well-being, and autonomy of these patients.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive observational study of 41 COVID-19 patients transferred from intensive care to endocrinology.
• Evaluations included clinical characteristics, nutritional assessment (MNA), psychological assessment (HAD, SF36, PCLS), treatment satisfaction (TQCMII), and autonomy (ADL score).

Main Results:

• The study included 41 patients (average age 55), with high rates of diabetes (43.9%) and hypertension (34.1%).
• Significant findings included undernutrition (14.6%) or risk of undernutrition (65.9%), weight loss (61%), and psychological issues like anxiety (14.6%), depression (14.6%), and post-traumatic stress disorder (29.3%).
• 12.2% of patients experienced a loss of autonomy.

Conclusions:

• COVID-19 patients are susceptible to undernutrition, psychological distress, and motor complications following intensive care.
• Integrated care addressing these multifaceted needs before discharge is essential for patient recovery and family reintegration.