Abstract:
Objective: The study aimed to investigate whether peripheral and inspiratory muscle strength and architecture, functional capacity, functional mobility, fatigue and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) are predictors of the PCFS scale score in patients with post-COVID-19 syndrome who were hospitalized.
Design: A cross-sectional study included 69 patients (53.3 ± 13.2 years, 36 men) with post-COVID-19 syndrome. The following outcomes were assessed: peripheral (dynamometry) and inspiratory (manovacuometry) muscle strength, muscle architecture (ultrasound), functional capacity (six-minute walk test), functional mobility (Timed Up and Go), fatigue (Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy), HRQoL (36-item Short Form Health Survey) and functional status (PCFS scale).
Results: Functional mobility (β = 0.573; P < 0.001), vastus intermedius echogenicity (β = -0.491; P = 0.001), length of stay (β = 0.349; P = 0.007) and female sex (β = 0.415; P = 0.003) influenced the PCFS scale.
Conclusion: Functional mobility, muscle quality of the vastus intermedius, length of stay and female sex influence the PCFS scale score in this population. It is noteworthy that functional mobility is an independent predictor of PCFS scale.
Source: Dos Santos TD, Alves Souza J, Cardoso DM, Berni VB, Pasqualoto AS, de Albuquerque IM. Predictors of Post-COVID-19 Functional Status Scale in hospitalized patients recovering from SARS-CoV-2 infection. Am J Phys Med Rehabil. 2023 Aug 18. doi: 10.1097/PHM.0000000000002325. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37594212. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37594212/