Investigation of the Muscle Oxygenation in Patients With Post COVID-19 Syndrome
Condition: COVID-19
MeSH terms: COVID-19
Study type: Observational [Patient Registry]

Summary: 
      More than 60% of patients infected with COVID-19 have long-term symptoms. These symptoms are
      associated with common ground-glass opacities on computed tomography scans and chest
      radiographs. The pathophysiology of long-term persistent symptoms is largely unknown, but
      hypoxia and hypoxic tissue damage, decreased pulmonary diffusion capacity,
      ventilation-perfusion mismatch, and lung fibrosis caused by COVID-19-associated pneumonia are
      thought to cause long-term symptoms. Desaturation may occur during exercise due to hypoxia,
      pneumonia and lung involvement in patients with post-COVID syndrome. Oxygenation of
      peripheral muscles may decrease due to hypoxemia, but there is not enough study on this
      subject yet.
    

Detailed description: 
      Post-COVID syndrome is defined as unexplained signs or symptoms that develop during or after
      infection with COVID-19 and persist for 12 weeks. Long-term symptoms include fatigue,
      dyspnea, impaired exercise and lung function.It is important to understand physiological
      mechanisms underlying persistent dyspnea, fatigue, and impaired exercise capacity after
      COVID-19 infection to develop appropriate rehabilitation interventions while improving these
      symptoms. The pathophysiology of long-term persistent symptoms is largely unknown, however
      hypoxia and hypoxic tissue damage caused by COVID-19-associated pneumonia, decreased
      pulmonary diffusion capacity, ventilation-perfusion mismatch and lung fibrosis have been
      hypothesized. The effect of hypoxemia associated with COVID-19 on oxygenation of peripheral
      muscles and muscle oxygenation at submaximal and maximal exercise intensity has not been
      investigated, yet.

      The aim of our study is to evaluate and compare quadriceps femoris muscle oxygenation in
      submaximal and maximal exercise tests in patients with post-COVID syndrome.

      Patients referred from Gazi University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Chest Diseases for
      pulmonary rehabilitation to Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Unit located in the Faculty of
      Health Sciences were recruited, Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, between March
      2022 and May 2023. Muscle oxygenation during six-minute walk test and cardiopulmonary
      exercise test on two different days was measured and compared.
    

Observational model: Cohort
Time perspective: Prospective
Sampling method: Probability Sample
Study population: 
        Thirty eight patients with pulmonary involvement post-COVID syndrome were recruited for the
        study. Pulmonary involvement of the patients was determined by a pulmonologist according to
        the results of computed tomography.Patients referred from Gazi University, Faculty of
        Medicine, Department of Chest Diseases for pulmonary rehabilitation to Cardiopulmonary
        Rehabilitation Unit located in the Faculty of Health Sciences were recruited, Department of
        Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation.
      
Keywords: COVID-19; oxygen consumption