Post-Covid Lungs Fibrosis: An Worrying Experience of Covid19 Survivors!!
SM AA Mamun1*, Zafor Iqbal2, Sanaullah Sarker3, QT Islam4, Arif Mahmud5 and Sania Ahsan6
1Senior Consultant of Respiratory Medicine, Evercare Hospitals, Dhaka, Bangladesh
2Consultant, Intensive Care Unit, Evercare Hospitals, Dhaka, Bangladesh
3Senior Specialist of Respiratory Medicine, Evercare Hospitals, Dhaka, Bangladesh
4Professor of Medicine, Popular Medical College, Dhaka, Bangladesh
5Public Health Specialist and Deputy Director of Evercare Hospitals, Dhaka, Bangladesh
6Senior Consultant of Radiology and Imaging, Evercare Hospitals, Dhaka, Bangladesh
*Corresponding Author: SM AA Mamun, Senior Consultant of Respiratory Medicine, Evercare Hospitals, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Received:
July 27, 2021; Published: October 01, 2022
Abstract
Introduction: Patients recovering from confirmed COVID-19, particularly moderate to severe disease, those who needing HDU/ICU support with HFNC and MV, experienced different symptoms ranging from tiredness, fatigue to severe exertional dyspnea. HRCT of Chest of these patients showing persistent radiological abnormalities simulating progressive fibrotic lung disease. Lung function including DLCO revealed moderate to severe reduction of CO transfer factor. In case of patients recovered from moderate to severe COVID-19 pneumonia, lung injury and fibrosis is a big problem and it is one of the most worrying long-term complications. We observed that lung fibrosis was documented in previous SARS and MERS pathology, and current observational studies suggests that pulmonary fibrosis could also complicate infection by SARS-CoV-2.
Objective: The objective of our study is to early segregation of patients who have potential to develop such serious complication, thus giving a chance for early detection of post-COVID-19 lung fibrosis and to prevent or at least modify such disabling complication by proper and early intervention.
Results: From April 2020 to June 2021, 110 patients at Evercare hospitals Dhaka Bangladesh, who had admitted in HDU and ICU with florid clinical manifestations and confirmed COVID-19 by RT-PCR, were evaluated by follow-up HRCT of chest and symptoms scoring. Different radiological signs and residual fibrotic changes in follow up HRCT was considered. CT severity score (CT-SS) is a good predictor for disease progression, that leads to pulmonary fibrosis.. In our study we have taken mild to moderate group (CT-SS of 1-17) and severe group (CT-SS of 18-25).
There are no documented predisposing factors that may directly influence the development of post-COVID-19 lung fibrosis, some predicting factors such as old age, multiple comorbidity, long term cigarette smoking and prolong HFNC or mechanical ventilation may be the inciting factors.
Conclusion: Early detection of potential cases of post-COVID-19 lungs fibrosis may give us the opportunity to prevent or at least modify such disabling condition.
Keywords: COVID-19; Fibrosis; Antifibrotic
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