Physical, psychiatric, and cognitive problems seen in those discharged to long-term acute care hospitals<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter<\/b><\/p>\n
<\/b><\/p>\n
FRIDAY, April 26, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Nearly two-thirds of survivors of severe COVID-19 discharged to long-term acute care hospitals have persistent impairments at one year, according to a study published online April 10 in\u00a0Critical Care Medicine<\/em>.<\/p>\n Anil Makam, M.D., from the University of California San Francisco, and colleagues investigated impairments among hospitalized adults discharged to one of nine long-term acute care hospitals (LTACHs; March 2020 to February 2021) for prolonged severe COVID-19 illness who survived one year. The analysis included 156 individuals who completed surveys.<\/p>\n The researchers found that 61.3 percent of respondents rated their prior health as good. The median length of stay in LTACHs was 57 days. Additionally, three-quarters (77 percent) required mechanical ventilation for a median of 26 days and 42 percent had a tracheostomy. At the time of the survey, nearly two-thirds of respondents (64 percent) had a persistent impairment, including physical (57 percent), respiratory (49 percent; 19 percent on supplemental oxygen), psychiatric (24 percent), and cognitive impairments (15 percent). Persistent debility from hospital-acquired complications, including mononeuropathies and pressure ulcers, were reported. Recovery was attributed to exercise\/rehabilitation, support, and time. While 78.7 percent did not return to their usual health, participants expressed gratitude for recovering, despite life-altering effects. Nearly all (99 percent) returned home, and 60 percent of previously employed individuals returned to work.<\/p>\n “The long-lasting impairments we observed are common to survivors of any prolonged critical illness, and not specific to COVID, and are best addressed through multidisciplinary rehabilitation,” Makam said in a statement.<\/p>\n Abstract\/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)<\/a><\/p>\n <\/i><\/p>\n