• Alberto Zangrillo, Alessandro Belletti, Diego Palumbo, Maria Rosa Calvi, Francesca Guzzo, Evgeny V Fominskiy, Alessandro Ortalda, Pasquale Nardelli, Marco Ripa, Martina Baiardo Redaelli, Giovanni Borghi, Giovanni Landoni, Filippo D'Amico, Marilena Marmiere, Beatrice Righetti, Margherita Rocchi, Marco Saracino, Moreno Tresoldi, Lorenzo Dagna, Francesco De Cobelli, and COVID-BioB Study Group.
• Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; School of Medicine, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy.
• J. Cardiothorac. Vasc. Anesth. 2022 May 1; 36 (5): 135413631354-1363.

ObjectivesPatients with COVID-19 frequently develop acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) requiring intensive care unit (ICU) admission. Data on long-term survival of these patients are lacking. The authors investigated 1-year survival, quality of life, and functional recovery of patients with COVID-19 ARDS requiring invasive mechanical ventilation.DesignProspective observational study.SettingTertiary-care university hospital.ParticipantsAll patients with COVID-19 ARDS receiving invasive mechanical ventilation and discharged alive from hospital.InterventionsPatients were contacted by phone after 1 year. Functional, cognitive, and psychological outcomes were explored through a questionnaire and assessed using validated scales. Patients were offered the possibility to undergo a follow-up chest computed tomography (CT) scan.Measurements And Main ResultsThe study included all adult (age ≥18 years) patients with COVID-19-related ARDS admitted to an ICU of the authors' institution between February 25, 2020, and April 27, 2020, who received at least 1 day of invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV). Of 116 patients who received IMV, 61 (52.6%) survived to hospital discharge. These survivors were assessed 1 year after discharge and 56 completed a battery of tests of cognition, activities of daily living, and interaction with family members. They had overall good functional recovery, with >80% reporting good recovery and no difficulties in usual activities. A total of 52 (93%) of patients had no dyspnea at rest. Severe anxiety/depression was reported by 5 (8.9%) patients. Comparing 2-month and 1-year data, the authors observed the most significant improvements in the areas of working status and exertional dyspnea. One-year chest CT scans were available for 36 patients; fibrotic-like changes were present in 4 patients.ConclusionsAll patients who survived the acute phase of COVID-19 and were discharged from the hospital were alive at the 1-year follow up, and the vast majority of them had good overall recovery and quality of life.Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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