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Assessment of Dependence in Activities of Daily Living Among Older Patients in an Acute Care Unit
Published on: September 30, 2020
Six-month follow-up of functional status in discharged patients with coronavirus disease 2019
Hou-Wei Du1,2, Shuang-Fang Fang1,2, Sang-Ru Wu1,2
1Department of Neurology, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, 29 Xinquan Road, Gulou District, Fuzhou, 35000, China.
Insights
A significant portion of COVID-19 survivors experience incomplete functional recovery six months post-discharge. Muscle or joint pain at onset is linked to a higher risk of long-term disability in these patients.
Area of Science:
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
- Rehabilitation Medicine
Background:
- The long-term functional outcomes for patients recovering from COVID-19 are not well-established.
- Understanding post-discharge functional status is crucial for patient recovery and healthcare planning.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the 6-month functional status of COVID-19 survivors after hospital discharge.
- To identify risk factors associated with incomplete functional recovery in these patients.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective observational study was conducted on 95 COVID-19 survivors admitted to Union Hospital, Wuhan, China.
- Functional outcomes were assessed using the Post-COVID-19 Functional Status (PCFS) scale at 6-month follow-up.
- Logistic regression analysis identified risk factors for incomplete functional status (PCFS > 0).
Main Results:
- At 6 months, 70.5% of patients achieved complete functional recovery (PCFS grade 0).
- 12.6% experienced mild, and 7.4% moderate functional limitations.
- Onset symptoms of muscle or joint pain were significantly associated with an increased risk of incomplete function (adjusted OR 3.39).
Conclusions:
- A notable proportion of COVID-19 survivors face incomplete functional recovery six months post-discharge.
- Early symptoms like muscle/joint pain may predict poorer long-term functional outcomes.
- Targeted intervention strategies are necessary to address the functional deficits in COVID-19 survivors.
Background:
The long-term functional outcome of discharged patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) remains unresolved. We aimed to describe a 6-month follow-up of functional status of COVID-19 survivors.
Methods:
We reviewed the data of COVID-19 patients who had been consecutively admitted to the Tumor Center of Union Hospital (Wuhan, China) between 15 February and 14 March 2020. We quantified a 6-month functional outcome reflecting symptoms and disability in COVID-19 survivors using a post-COVID-19 functional status scale ranging from 0 to 4 (PCFS). We examined the risk factors for the incomplete functional status defined as a PCFS > 0 at a 6-month follow-up after discharge.
Results:
We included a total of 95 COVID-19 survivors with a median age of 62 (IQR 53-69) who had a complete functional status (PCFS grade 0) at baseline in this retrospective observational study. At 6-month follow-up, 67 (70.5%) patients had a complete functional outcome (grade 0), 9 (9.5%) had a negligible limited function (grade 1), 12 (12.6%) had a mild limited function (grade 2), 7 (7.4%) had moderate limited function (grade 3). Univariable logistic regression analysis showed a significant association between the onset symptoms of muscle or joint pain and an increased risk of incomplete function (unadjusted OR 4.06, 95% CI 1.33-12.37). This association remained after adjustment for age and admission delay (adjusted OR 3.39, 95% CI 1.06-10.81, p = 0.039).
Conclusions:
A small proportion of discharged COVID-19 patients may have an incomplete functional outcome at a 6-month follow-up; intervention strategies are required.
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