Original Research
COVID-19: Patient Characteristics in the First Phase of Postintensive Care Rehabilitation

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arrct.2021.100108Get rights and content
Under a Creative Commons license
open access

Abstract

Objective

To describe clinical characteristics of patients after intensive care unit (ICU) treatment for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) who were admitted for inpatient rehabilitation.

Design

A cross-sectional design.

Setting

Inpatient rehabilitation care in the Netherlands.

Participants

All post-ICU patients with COVID-19 admitted to the rehabilitation center between April 2 and May 13, 2020, were invited to participate in the study. Included were patients older than 18 years needing inpatient rehabilitation after ICU treatment for COVID-19 (N=60; mean age, 59.9y; 75% male).

Interventions

Not applicable.

Main Outcome Measures

The following information was collected in the first week of inpatient rehabilitation care: (1) demographics; (2) ICU stay parameters; (3) medical, physical, and functional characteristics; and (4) self-reported symptoms.

Results

The most important findings for rehabilitation were the following: in the first week after discharge to the rehabilitation center, 38.3% of all patients experienced exercise-induced oxygen desaturation, in 72.7% muscle weakness was present in all major muscle groups, and 21.7% had a reduced mobility in 1 or both shoulders. Furthermore 40% had dysphagia, and 39.2% reported symptoms of anxiety.

Conclusion

Post-ICU patients with COVID-19 display physical and anxiety symptoms as reported in other post-ICU patient groups. However, this study showed some remarkable clinical characteristics of post-ICU patients with COVID-19. Rehabilitation programs need to anticipate on this. Long-term follow-up studies are necessary.

KEYWORDS

Adult
Critical care
Inpatients
Rehabilitation

Cited by (0)

List of abbreviations: ARDS, acute respiratory distress syndrome; COVID-19, coronavirus disease 2019; CRRT, continuous renal replacement therapy; ECMO, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation; HHD, handheld dynamometer; ICU, intensive care unit; ICU-AW, intensive care unit–acquired weakness; MRC, Medical Research Council; MV, mechanical ventilation; NRS, Numeric Rating Scale; PE, pulmonary embolism; PICS, postintensive care syndrome; ROM, range of motion; SARS, severe acute respiratory syndrome.

Disclosures: none.