Trends over Time of Lung Function and Radiological Abnormalities in COVID-19 Pneumonia: A Prospective, Observational, Cohort Study.

Radiological and functional sequelae of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia are still poorly understood. This was a prospective, observational, physiological, cohort study on consecutive adult patients with COVID-19 pneumonia admitted in April-May 2020 in the high dependency respiratory unit of L. Sacco University Hospital in Milan (Italy). During hospitalization, patients underwent chest computed tomography (CT), blood gas analysis, spirometry, and lung diffusion capacity for carbon monoxide (DLco), which were repeated 6 weeks post-discharge. Chest CTs were individually read by two expert radiologists, that calculated the total severity score (TSS). Twenty patients completed the study (mean age 58.2 years, 70% males). During the acute phase, mean DLco, alveolar volume (VA), and vital capacity (VC) were 56.0 (16.3), 64.8 (14.0), and 71.7 (16.9) % predicted, respectively, and were inversely associated with PaO2/FiO2 ratio. Fifty percent of patients had a restrictive ventilatory pattern; mean TSS was 7.9 (4.0). At follow up, gas exchange parameters were normalized; consolidations persisted in 10% of cases, while DLco was <80% predicted in 65% of patients and was independently predicted by Log10D-dimer at admission (ß -18.675; 95%CI, -28.373--9.076; p = 0.001). In conclusion, functional abnormalities in COVID-19 pneumonia survivors can persist during follow up and are associated with the severity of the disease.

Changes in quality of life and dyspnoea after hospitalization in COVID-19 patients discharged at home.

BACKGROUND: To date, the effects of COVID-19 pneumonia on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and dyspnoea are unknown. METHODS: In a real-life observational study, 20 patients with COVID-19-related pneumonia received usual care plus erdosteine (300 mg twice daily) for 15 days after hospital discharge following local standard operating procedures. At discharge (T0) and on Day 15 (T1), participants completed the St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), the modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) scale of dyspnoea during daily activity, the BORG scale for dyspnoea during exertion, and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for dyspnoea at rest. Paired t-tests compared scores at T0 and T1. RESULTS: The mean (SD) SGRQ total score decreased from 25.5 (15.5) at T0 to 16.9 (13.2) at T1 (p<0.01); 65% of patients achieved a clinically important change of ≥4 points. SGRQ domain scores (symptoms, activity, and impact) were also significantly reduced (all p<0.01). The mean (SD) VAS score decreased from 1.6 (1.7) to 1.4 (2.5); p<0.01. The mean mMRC score decreased significantly (p=0.031) and 30% of patients achieved a clinically important change of ≥1 point. The mean (SD) Borg score increased from 12.8 (4.2) to 14.3 (2.4); p<0.01. CONCLUSION: The present proof of concept study is the first to report HRQoL in patients with COVID-19. During 15 days after hospital discharge, patients reported significant improvements in HRQoL and dyspnoea at rest and during daily activities.

Rationale underlying the measurement of fractional exhaled nitric oxide in systemic sclerosis patients.

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is an autoimmune disease characterised by tissue fibrosis leading to vascular injury. Nitric oxide (NO) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. A deficiency in basal NO production by the constitutive endothelial isoform of nitric oxide synthase may promote vasoconstriction and vascular wall thickening. In January 2017, we searched the PubMed/Medline, Cochrane Library and Enbase/Medline databases for studies analysing physio-pathological correlations with lung fractional exhaled NO (FeNO) production. This review describes the rationale underlying possible applications of FeNO measurements in the management of SSc. Measuring NO levels at multiple expiratory flow rates makes it possible to distinguish airway NO production and distal airway/alveolar NO concentration (ANOC), and there is increasing evidence indicating that it may be useful in many non-respiratory conditions. FeNO levels are increased in SSc patients with fibrosing lung disease, whereas those with pulmonary hypertension have relatively low FeNO levels, thus suggesting that NO plays an important role in regulating pulmonary vascular resistance in SSc. However, a number of studies have shown increased ANOC in SSc patients without increased FeNO levels. The relationship between lung diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide and ANOC may be related to increased alveolar membrane thickness impeding NO diffusion or alveolar inflammation in SSc lung disease. The findings concerning the usefulness of FeNO measurements in SSc patients are discordant, but the available papers suggest that ANOC is a more accurate indicator of progressive lung dysfunction and an increase in ANOC could assess the extent of interstitial lung disease non-invasively.