Evaluation Of Post-Covid-19 Patients In Terms Of Internal Medicine Practice
Abstract
COVID-19 can primarily involve the lung, causing multi-organ failure and ultimately death. Acute respiratory complications result in prolonged ICU stay, and this is one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality. For this reasons, the diagnosis and treatment of chronic changes and sequelae caused by the virus in the lungs and other organs in people with severe disease will be important in terms of controls after discharge.
According to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline, the period we call the post-COVID-19 period was defined as the persistence of symptoms and signs after COVID-19 infection for more than 12 weeks and the exclusion of other causes that would explain this situation. In addition, the continuation or re-emergence of symptoms and signs after acute COVID-19 infection was defined as long-COVID. This period includes the prolonged symptomatic period and the post-COVID period. The most commonly reported post-COVID-19 symptoms are fatigue, shortness of breath, cough, arthralgia and chest pain.
COVID-19 disease can have some physical and psychological effects on patients even after the acute symptoms has resolved. Therefore, it would be beneficial to carry out the post-COVID situation, which requires a multidisciplinary approach, under the coordination and responsibility of an internal medicine specialist. In order for post-COVID patients to be followed up regularly and necessary precautions to be taken early, special COVID-19 follow-up outpatient clinics should be established for these patients.
Keywords
post covid, long covid, internal medicine practice, post-covid situation
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