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- Meltem Karakulak Kafkas, Sabah Tüzün, Nazlı Hacıağaoğlu, Hüseyin Çetin, Sevda Şener Cömert, and Engin Ersin Şimşek.
- Maltepe No: 27, Family Health Center, Istanbul, Turkey.
- Fam Pract. 2024 Aug 14; 41 (4): 510517510-517.
BackgroundThe effect of COVID-19 infection on pulmonary function is unknown.ObjectiveThis study aimed to evaluate pulmonary function tests (PFTs) of patients hospitalized with the diagnosis of COVID-19 pneumonia at 3 and 6 months post-discharge.MethodsPatients aged 18 years and over who had positive COVID-19 PCR test results and were hospitalized in the pandemic service between 1 May 2020 and 31 October 2020, were included in the study. All patients were evaluated with PFTs FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC, and FEF25-75 at 3 and 6 months after discharge.ResultsThe mean age of 34 patients included in the study was 47.7 ± 12.7 years. The FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC, and FEF25-75 measurements at 3 and 6 months post-discharge showed no significant difference (P = 0.765, P = 0.907, P = 0.707, and P = 0.674, respectively). There was no significant difference in any PFT measurements at the third month follow-up, regardless of the pharmacological treatment protocols applied during hospitalization (P > 0.05). However, FEV1/FVC and FEF25-75 levels were 83.1 [3.4]% and 91.0 [10.0]%, respectively, in those who received systemic steroid treatment, and 78.3 ± 8.5% and 72.5 ± 25.7% in those who did not (P = 0.019 and P = 0.048, respectively). In addition, FVC and FEV1 levels increased significantly from the third to the sixth month follow-up in patients who received systemic steroid therapy (P = 0.035 and P = 0.018, respectively).ConclusionAlthough there is no significant difference in PFT measurements from 3 to 6 months in COVID-19 patients, systemic steroid therapy may have a beneficial effect on respiratory function in COVID-19 patients.© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.
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