Levey, MD, Radiology Partners-Houston, Houston, TX, USA.
Chen, MD, MBA, University of Texas Health Sciences Center at Houston, McGovern Medical School, Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
Psychopharmacol Bull. 2024 Aug 19;54(4):8-17.
Pilot study to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of stellate ganglion blocks in the treatment of symptoms related to long COVID infection.
A total of 17 patients who underwent stellate ganglion block for the treatment of their long COVID symptoms were included. COMPASS-31, GAD-7, PCL-5, and Fatigue Severity Score (FSS) pre and post intervention surveys and data on baseline heartrate and post- block heart rate recorded in the EMR.
A total of 94% of patients reported moderate-to-severe autonomic dysfunction pre-procedure as measured by COMPASS-31. All patients reported some degree of symptomatic improvement from the block. Specifically, patients had significantly lower FSS scores ( = 0.002) and heart rate post-procedure ( = 0.008). Although the decrease in PCL-5 scores after the procedure was clinically meaningful, this change was not statistically significant ( = 0.159). No significant difference was found in pre and post procedure GAD-7 scores ( = 0.101).
Stellate ganglion block is a safe, low-risk, minimally invasive, and effective procedure in the treatment of symptoms for long COVID. It should be evaluated as an adjunctive treatment of select patients in this population.
评估星状神经节阻滞治疗长新冠感染相关症状的安全性和有效性的初步研究。
共纳入 17 名因长新冠症状而行星状神经节阻滞治疗的患者。在干预前后采用 COMPASS-31、GAD-7、PCL-5 和疲劳严重程度量表（FSS）进行调查并记录 EMR 中的基础心率和阻滞后心率数据。
共有 94%的患者在接受 COMPASS-31 测量时报告存在中重度自主神经功能障碍。所有患者均报告了某种程度的症状改善。具体来说，患者的 FSS 评分（ = 0.002）和心率（ = 0.008）在术后明显降低。尽管术后 PCL-5 评分的下降具有临床意义，但这一变化无统计学意义（ = 0.159）。GAD-7 评分在术前和术后无显著差异（ = 0.101）。
星状神经节阻滞是一种安全、低风险、微创且有效的长新冠治疗方法。对于该人群中的特定患者，应将其评估为辅助治疗方法。
