[Quality of life and persistent symptoms after hospitalization for COVID-19. A prospective observational study comparing ICU with non-ICU patients].

BACKGROUND

Hospitalized COVID-19 patients are prone to develop persistent symptoms and to show reduced quality of life following hospital admission.

METHODS

Prospective cohort study of COVID-19 patients admitted to a hospital from March 1 to April 30, 2020. The primary outcome was to compare health related quality of life and persistent symptoms six months after hospital admission, of COVID-19 patients who required ICU admission with those who did not.

RESULTS

Among the 242 patients hospitalized during the defined period of time, 44 (18.2%) needed ICU admission. Forty (16.5%) patients died during hospital admission. Two hundred and two (83.5%) patients were discharged alive from the hospital. At six months, 183 (75.6%) patients completed the questionnaires (32 ICU patients and 151 non ICU patients). Ninety-six (52.4%) reported decreased quality of life and 143 (78.1%) described persistent symptoms. More ICU patients showed worsening of their quality of life (71.9 vs. 43.7%, = 0.004). There were no differences in the proportion of patients with persistent symptoms between ICU and non ICU patients (87.5 vs. 76.2%, = 0.159). ICU patients showed more frequently dyspnea on exertion (78.1 vs. 47.7%, = 0.02), dyspnea on light exertion (37.5 vs. 4.6%, < 0.001), and asthenia (56.3 vs. 29.1, = 0.003).

CONCLUSIONS

Survivors of COVID-19 needing hospitalization had persistent symptoms and a decline in the quality of life. ICU patients referred a large decrease of their quality of life compared with non ICU patients.