Center for Internal Medicine, Medical Department 2 (Hematology/Oncology and Infectious Diseases), Goethe University Frankfurt, University Hospital, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60596, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
Department I of Internal Medicine, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
Infection. 2024 Oct;52(5):1813-1829. doi: 10.1007/s15010-024-02226-9. Epub 2024 Apr 8.
The objective examination of the Post-COVID syndrome (PCS) remains difficult due to heterogeneous definitions and clinical phenotypes. The aim of the study was to verify the functionality and correlates of a recently developed PCS score.
The PCS score was applied to the prospective, multi-center cross-sectoral cohort (in- and outpatients with SARS-CoV-2 infection) of the "National Pandemic Cohort Network (NAPKON, Germany)". Symptom assessment and patient-reported outcome measure questionnaires were analyzed at 3 and 12 months (3/12MFU) after diagnosis. Scores indicative of PCS severity were compared and correlated to demographic and clinical characteristics as well as quality of life (QoL, EQ-5D-5L).
Six hundred three patients (mean 54.0 years, 60.6% male, 82.0% hospitalized) were included. Among those, 35.7% (215) had no and 64.3% (388) had mild, moderate, or severe PCS. PCS severity groups differed considering sex and pre-existing respiratory diseases. 3MFU PCS worsened with clinical severity of acute infection (p = .011), and number of comorbidities (p = .004). PCS severity was associated with poor QoL at the 3MFU and 12MFU (p < .001).
The PCS score correlated with patients' QoL and demonstrated to be instructive for clinical characterization and stratification across health care settings. Further studies should critically address the high prevalence, clinical relevance, and the role of comorbidities.
The cohort is registered at www.
gov under NCT04768998.
由于定义和临床表型存在异质性，对新冠后综合征（PCS）的客观检查仍然具有挑战性。本研究旨在验证最近开发的 PCS 评分的功能和相关性。
PCS 评分应用于前瞻性、多中心跨部门队列（SARS-CoV-2 感染的门诊和住院患者）的“德国国家大流行队列网络（NAPKON）”。在诊断后 3 个月（3MFU）和 12 个月（12MFU）时，对症状评估和患者报告的结局测量问卷进行分析。比较提示 PCS 严重程度的评分，并与人口统计学和临床特征以及生活质量（EQ-5D-5L）相关联。
共纳入 603 名患者（平均年龄 54.0 岁，60.6%为男性，82.0%住院）。其中，35.7%（215 名）无轻度、中度或重度 PCS，64.3%（388 名）有轻度、中度或重度 PCS。PCS 严重程度组在性别和预先存在的呼吸道疾病方面存在差异。3MFU 的 PCS 随着急性感染的临床严重程度（p = .011）和合并症的数量（p = .004）而恶化。PCS 严重程度与 3MFU 和 12MFU 时的生活质量较差相关（p < .001）。
PCS 评分与患者的生活质量相关，并且对于跨医疗保健环境的临床特征和分层具有指导意义。进一步的研究应严格评估其高患病率、临床相关性以及合并症的作用。
该队列在 www.clinicaltrials.gov 上注册，注册号为 NCT04768998。
