Journal Article Epublish
PubMed: 39554298 DOI: 10.1002/jgf2.716
Evaluation of diseases complicating long COVID: A retrospective chart review.
J Gen Fam Med 25(6):324-332
Authors: Tomoya Tsuchida, Masanori Hirose, Hirotoshi Fujii, Ryunosuke Hisatomi, Kosuke Ishizuka, Yoko Inoue, Kohta Katayama, Yu Nakagama, Yasutoshi Kido, Takahide Matsuda, Yoshiyuki Ohira
Affiliations
- Department of General Internal Medicine St. Marianna University School of Medicine Kawasaki Japan.
- Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport Family Medicine Resident Alexandria Louisiana USA.
- Department of General Medicine Yokohama City University School of Medicine Yokohama Japan.
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Graduate School of Medicine Fukushima Medical University Fukushima Japan.
- Department of Virology & Parasitology, Graduate School of Medicine Osaka Metropolitan University Osaka Japan.
- Research Center for Infectious Disease Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine Osaka Metropolitan University Osaka Japan.
Abstract
Background
Evidence for the pathogenesis and treatment of postacute coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) (long COVID) is lacking. As long COVID symptoms are predicted to have an impact on the global economy, clarification of the pathogenesis is urgently needed. Our experiences indicated that some symptoms were complicated by diseases established before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods
Using a retrospective, cross-sectional study, we aimed to evaluate the diseases complicating long COVID. Using the medical records of patients with confirmed COVID-19 exhibiting residual symptoms lasting ≥60 days postinfection who visited our clinic in January 2021-February 2023, we investigated the symptoms and diseases observed. We identified diseases that occurred after COVID-19 and excluded those that were exacerbations of existing diseases.
Results
During the first visit, the most common symptoms reported in a total of 798 patients were fatigue (523 patients), anxiety (349 patients), and lack of motivation (344 patients). Complicating diseases were observed in 452 patients (57%). There were 115, 65, and 60 patients with postural tachycardia syndrome, postural syndrome without tachycardia, and mood disorders, respectively. Some diseases requiring immediate treatment included pulmonary thromboembolism, purulent shoulder arthritis, cerebellopontine angle tumors, myasthenia gravis, and cervical myelopathy.
Conclusion
Not all symptoms that occur after COVID-19 should be treated as long COVID. Similar to normal medical treatment, a list of differential diagnoses should be maintained based on symptoms to obtain definitive diagnoses.
MeSH
Diagnosis, Differential, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, Signs And Symptoms, Covid-19, Tachycardia, Diagnosis, Therapeutics, Post-Acute Covid-19 Syndrome