Clinical Characteristics of Hospital Follow-up for Patients Hospitalized from SARS CoV-2 (COVID 19) in an Academic Outpatient Internal Medicine Clinic
Background: As of July 2022, there have been more than 91.3 million cases of COVID-19 and nearly 1.03 million deaths in the United States alone. In addition, many people who survived COVID-19 had long-term symptoms, such as fatigue, dyspnea, loss of smell and taste, depression, and anxiety. Objectiv...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
SAGE Publishing
2022-10-01
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| Series: | Journal of Primary Care & Community Health |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1177/21501319221134560 |
| _version_ | 1811256956757737472 |
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| author | Mostafa Abohelwa Christopher J. Peterson Dylan Landis Duc Le Camila Conde Charles DeWare Fares Elgendy Drew Payne Kenneth Nugent |
| author_facet | Mostafa Abohelwa Christopher J. Peterson Dylan Landis Duc Le Camila Conde Charles DeWare Fares Elgendy Drew Payne Kenneth Nugent |
| author_sort | Mostafa Abohelwa |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: As of July 2022, there have been more than 91.3 million cases of COVID-19 and nearly 1.03 million deaths in the United States alone. In addition, many people who survived COVID-19 had long-term symptoms, such as fatigue, dyspnea, loss of smell and taste, depression, and anxiety. Objectives: The purpose of our study is to evaluate the status of COVID-19 patients who were previously hospitalized. Methods: We conducted a single-center retrospective cohort study at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center and its affiliated University Medical Center under IRB of L21-144. We included all patients hospitalized for COVID-19 and followed up in our Internal Medicine Clinic at any time between April 1, 2020, and April 1, 2021, and reviewed follow-up data for these patients after discharge. Results: A total of 128 patients were included; 59 (46%) were men, and 69 (54%) were women with an average age of 59.7 ± 14.8 years. Most of the patients (n = 78, 60.9%) identified their race as Hispanic or Latino origin; the next largest group was Caucasian (n = 29, 22.65%). The average number of days until post-hospitalization follow-up was 36 ± 38 days. The 50% of the patients (n = 64) used telemedicine for follow-up visits. Important comorbidities in these patients included diabetes (n = 84, 65.6%) and hypertension (n = 94, 73.4%). Thirty-four patients (26.6%) reported respiratory symptoms at their follow-up appointments, 24 patients (18.8%) reported constitutional symptoms, 12 patients (9.4%) reported GI symptoms, and 25 patients (19.5%) reported other symptoms, such as paresthesia, lower extremity edema, or psychological symptoms. After hospital discharge, 54 patients had follow-up chest x-rays, and 41 (75.9%) still had abnormal findings consistent with COVID-19 imaging characteristics. Follow-up laboratory tests identified 44 patients (77.2%, 57 tested) with elevated D-dimer levels, 44 patients (78.6%, 56 tested) with high ferritin levels, and 21patients (35.6%, 59 tested) with elevated troponin T HS levels. Conclusion: Long-lasting COVID-19 symptoms in these patients included respiratory symptoms (26.6%), constitutional symptoms (18.8%), GI symptoms (9.4%), and other symptoms, such as paresthesia, lower extremity edema, or psychological symptoms (19.5%). The rate of telehealth follow-up was 50%. Many patients had elevated inflammatory markers that will need follow up to determine the clinical implications. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T17:49:09Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5cae27e802194bbda57b526a1f527c3e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2150-1327 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T17:49:09Z |
| publishDate | 2022-10-01 |
| publisher | SAGE Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Primary Care & Community Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-5cae27e802194bbda57b526a1f527c3e2022-12-22T03:22:34ZengSAGE PublishingJournal of Primary Care & Community Health2150-13272022-10-011310.1177/21501319221134560Clinical Characteristics of Hospital Follow-up for Patients Hospitalized from SARS CoV-2 (COVID 19) in an Academic Outpatient Internal Medicine ClinicMostafa Abohelwa0Christopher J. Peterson1Dylan Landis2Duc Le3Camila Conde4Charles DeWare5Fares Elgendy6Drew Payne7Kenneth Nugent8Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USAVirginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, Roanoke, VA, USATexas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USATexas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USATexas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USATexas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USAUniversity of Indiana, Indianapolis, IN, USATexas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USATexas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USABackground: As of July 2022, there have been more than 91.3 million cases of COVID-19 and nearly 1.03 million deaths in the United States alone. In addition, many people who survived COVID-19 had long-term symptoms, such as fatigue, dyspnea, loss of smell and taste, depression, and anxiety. Objectives: The purpose of our study is to evaluate the status of COVID-19 patients who were previously hospitalized. Methods: We conducted a single-center retrospective cohort study at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center and its affiliated University Medical Center under IRB of L21-144. We included all patients hospitalized for COVID-19 and followed up in our Internal Medicine Clinic at any time between April 1, 2020, and April 1, 2021, and reviewed follow-up data for these patients after discharge. Results: A total of 128 patients were included; 59 (46%) were men, and 69 (54%) were women with an average age of 59.7 ± 14.8 years. Most of the patients (n = 78, 60.9%) identified their race as Hispanic or Latino origin; the next largest group was Caucasian (n = 29, 22.65%). The average number of days until post-hospitalization follow-up was 36 ± 38 days. The 50% of the patients (n = 64) used telemedicine for follow-up visits. Important comorbidities in these patients included diabetes (n = 84, 65.6%) and hypertension (n = 94, 73.4%). Thirty-four patients (26.6%) reported respiratory symptoms at their follow-up appointments, 24 patients (18.8%) reported constitutional symptoms, 12 patients (9.4%) reported GI symptoms, and 25 patients (19.5%) reported other symptoms, such as paresthesia, lower extremity edema, or psychological symptoms. After hospital discharge, 54 patients had follow-up chest x-rays, and 41 (75.9%) still had abnormal findings consistent with COVID-19 imaging characteristics. Follow-up laboratory tests identified 44 patients (77.2%, 57 tested) with elevated D-dimer levels, 44 patients (78.6%, 56 tested) with high ferritin levels, and 21patients (35.6%, 59 tested) with elevated troponin T HS levels. Conclusion: Long-lasting COVID-19 symptoms in these patients included respiratory symptoms (26.6%), constitutional symptoms (18.8%), GI symptoms (9.4%), and other symptoms, such as paresthesia, lower extremity edema, or psychological symptoms (19.5%). The rate of telehealth follow-up was 50%. Many patients had elevated inflammatory markers that will need follow up to determine the clinical implications.https://doi.org/10.1177/21501319221134560 |
| spellingShingle | Mostafa Abohelwa Christopher J. Peterson Dylan Landis Duc Le Camila Conde Charles DeWare Fares Elgendy Drew Payne Kenneth Nugent Clinical Characteristics of Hospital Follow-up for Patients Hospitalized from SARS CoV-2 (COVID 19) in an Academic Outpatient Internal Medicine Clinic Journal of Primary Care & Community Health |
| title | Clinical Characteristics of Hospital Follow-up for Patients Hospitalized from SARS CoV-2 (COVID 19) in an Academic Outpatient Internal Medicine Clinic |
| title_full | Clinical Characteristics of Hospital Follow-up for Patients Hospitalized from SARS CoV-2 (COVID 19) in an Academic Outpatient Internal Medicine Clinic |
| title_fullStr | Clinical Characteristics of Hospital Follow-up for Patients Hospitalized from SARS CoV-2 (COVID 19) in an Academic Outpatient Internal Medicine Clinic |
| title_full_unstemmed | Clinical Characteristics of Hospital Follow-up for Patients Hospitalized from SARS CoV-2 (COVID 19) in an Academic Outpatient Internal Medicine Clinic |
| title_short | Clinical Characteristics of Hospital Follow-up for Patients Hospitalized from SARS CoV-2 (COVID 19) in an Academic Outpatient Internal Medicine Clinic |
| title_sort | clinical characteristics of hospital follow up for patients hospitalized from sars cov 2 covid 19 in an academic outpatient internal medicine clinic |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1177/21501319221134560 |
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