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Table 2 Pulmonary function tests and dyspnea scale at 1 year from hospital discharge

From: One-year pulmonary impairment after severe COVID-19: a prospective, multicenter follow-up study

 

Oxygen only

(N = 61)

CPAP

(N = 136)

IMV

(N = 90)

p

 

Median [Q1–Q3]

Median [Q1–Q3]

Median [Q1–Q3]

 

FEV1 (L)a

2.9 [2.4, 3.7]

3.4 [2.7, 3.9]

3.2 [2.7, 3.7]

 

FEV1%

111.0 [96.0, 123.5]

110.0 [98.0, 121.8]

106.5 [96.2, 117.0]

0.24

FVC (L)b

3.4 [3.0, 4.5]

4.2 [3.3, 4.8]

3.9 [3.3, 4.6]

 

FVC%

108.0 [99.0, 119.0]

107.5 [96.0, 116.0]

101.0 [93.0, 111.0]

0.02

TIb

80.0 [77.0, 84.0]

82.0 [79.0, 85.8]

82.0 [80.0, 85.0]

 

TLC (L)c

5.8 [4.6, 7.1]

6.3 [5.3, 6.9]

5.9 [4.9, 6.7]

 

TLC%

100.0 [91.0, 109.0]

97.0 [89.0, 105.2]

94.0 [84.0, 100.0]

0.02

DLCO (mmoL/min/kPa)d

6.4 [5.6, 7.6]

7.5 [6.3, 9.1]

6.9 [5.9, 8.5]

 

DLCO%c

79.0 [71.2, 91.8]

88.0 [77.0, 98.0]

80.0 [70.2, 89.0]

0.006

 

N (%)

N (%)

N (%)

 

Pulmonary function test values as categorical variables

    

 DLCO impairment (%)

31 (53)

39 (29)

44 (49)

0.001

 Mild defect (60–79%)

28 (48)

26 (20)

35 (39)

 

 Moderate defect (40–59%)

3 (5)

12 (9)

6 (7)

 

 Severe defect (< 40%)

0 (0)

1 (1)

3 (3)

 

 FVC impairment (%)

4 (7)

7 (5)

9 (10)

0.37

 Mild defect (70–79%)

1 (2)

6 (4)

7 (8)

 

 Moderate defect (60–69%)

1 (2)

1 (1)

1 (1)

 

 Moderate-to-severe defect (50–59%)

2 (3)

0 (0)

1 (1)

 

 Severe defect (≤ 49%)

0 (0)

0 (0)

0 (0)

 

 TI < 0.7

5 (8)

6 (4)

0 (0)

0.02

 TLC impairment (%)

6 (10)

11 (8)

16 (18)

0.09

 Mild defect (70–79%)

4 (7)

8 (6)

11 (12)

 

 Moderate defect (60–69%)

2 (3)

3 (2)

4 (4)

 

 Moderate-to-severe defect (50–59%)

0 (0)

0 (0)

1 (1)

 

 Severe defect (≤ 49%)

0 (0)

0 (0)

0 (0)

 

Six-minute walking test

 Meters, median [Q1–Q3]e

470 [400, 513]

460 [410, 520]

475 [400, 525]

0.60

 Distance lower than expectede

15 (25)

26 (20)

17 (19)

0.64

Dyspnea scale

 mMRC SCALEf

   

0.81

 0

35 (57)

83 (61)

53 (60)

 

 1

18 (30)

32 (24)

27 (30)

 

 2

8 (13)

17 (12)

9 (10)

 

 3

0 (0)

3 (2)

0 (0)

 

 4

0 (0)

1 (1)

0 (0)

 
  1. CPAP continuous positive airway pressure, DLCO diffusion capacity for carbon monoxide, FEV1 forced expiratory volume in the 1st second, FVC forced vital capacity, IMV invasive mechanical ventilation, Q1 first quartile, Q3 third quartile, RV residual volume, TI tiffeneau Index (FEV1/FVC ratio), TLC total lung capacity, VC vital capacity. The lower limits of normal for distance walked in healthy men and women were calculated according to the equation created by Enright et al. [17]
  2. a3 missing
  3. b2 missing
  4. c6 missing
  5. d8 missing
  6. e5 missing
  7. f1 missing