Objectives: This study aims to evaluate lung findings using lung ultrasonography (USG) in patients with PCR-positive COVID-19 pneumonia treated in the ward or intensive care unit and to explore the relationship with prolonged COVID-19 symptoms.
Methods: This prospective cross-sectional study was conducted at the University Medical Faculty Hospital outpatient clinic from December 2022 to April 2023. It involved 54 adult patients with PCR-positive COVID-19 pneumonia, treated and discharged from the ward or intensive care unit (ICU). Clinical and demographic data, lung ultrasonography results, and prolonged COVID-19 symptoms were recorded.
Results: Among the 54 patients, the ICU group had a mean age of 52.84 ± 12.30 years, while the ward group had a mean age of 58.80 ± 11.36 years (P=0.085). Shortness of breath was the most common prolonged symptom in both groups. The ICU group had significantly more right lung B lines than the ward group (P=0.002). Myalgia was more frequent in the ward group (P=0.024). No significant differences were observed in other variables (P>0.05). Prolonged COVID-19 symptoms were interrelated (P<0.05), and the total number of B lines was significantly associated with dyspnea (P=0.023).
Conclusions: Our study demonstrated that lung USG is a valuable tool in the assessment of lung injury after COVID-19 and in the management of long-term COVID-19 symptoms. B lines detected by lung USG are significantly associated with the long-term COVID symptom of shortness of breath, and the number of B lines may be an important biomarker in the management of shortness of breath.
Ethics committee approval for this study was obtained from the Trakya University Faculty of Medicine Ethics Committee on 14/06/2021, with decision number:13/35 and protocol code: TUTF-BAEK-2021/292
Trakya University Scientific Research Project
2022/131
2022/131
Primary Language | English |
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Subjects | Chest Diseases |
Journal Section | Original Articles |
Authors | |
Project Number | 2022/131 |
Early Pub Date | August 16, 2024 |
Publication Date | |
Submission Date | July 9, 2024 |
Acceptance Date | August 3, 2024 |
Published in Issue | Year 2024 Volume: 10 Issue: 5 |