Pulmonary Function and Chest CT in Patients Recovering From COVID-19 Pneumonia (preprint)

Background: COVID-19 is a new and highly contagious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). However, there is a paucity of data regarding long-term CT findings and pulmonary function in COVID-19 survivors. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of COVID-19 pneumonia on pulmonary function and chest high-resolution computed tomography (CT) in convalescent patients. Methods: A retrospective study of COVID-19 pneumonia patients in the Beijing Youan Hospital, Capital Medical University, was conducted. Serial assessments, including pulmonary volumes (TLC), spirometry (VC, FVC, FEV1), pulmonary diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO, DLCO/VA), and chest high-resolution CT were collected 3 months after discharge. Results: Forty-six patients completed the serial assessments. There were 38 non-severe and 8 severe cases. Abnormalities were detected in pulmonary function tests in 17 patients (37.8%). One (2.2%), 2 (4.3%), and 17 (37.8%) patients had FEV1/FVC ratio, TLC, and DLCO values less than 80% of predicted values, respectively. Twenty-eight patients (60.9%) had abnormal CT findings. Compared with patients with non-severe disease, those with severe disease had higher chest CT scores but a similar incidence of DLCO impairment. Similarly, patients who received glucocorticoids had higher chest CT scores but a similar incidence of DLCO impairment than those in the nonglucocorticoid group. Conclusions: Three months after discharge from the hospital, impaired diffusing capacity and CT abnormalities were detected in more than one third of COVID-19 patients. Compared with patients with non-severe disease, those with severe illness had a higher incidence of lung imaging abnormalities and similar lung function impairment.

Pilot Study On The Value of Echocardiography Combined With Lung Ultrasound In The Diagnosis And Treatment of COVID-19 Pneumonia (preprint)

Background: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between echocardiography results and lung ultrasound score (LUS) in coronavirus diseases 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia patients and to evaluate the impact of their combined application in the diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19 pneumonia.Methods: Hospitalized COVID-19 pneumonia patients who underwent lung ultrasound and echocardiography daily were included in this study. Patients with tricuspid regurgitation within 3 days of admission were enrolled, and the correlation and differences between their pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) and LUS on days 3, 8, and 13 were compared. The inner diameter of the pulmonary artery root and the size of the atria and ventricles were also observed.Results: Pulmonary artery pressure within 3 days (on day 3, 8 and 13) of admission was positively correlated with LUS (r = 0.448, p = 0.003; r = 0.738, p = 0.000; r = 0.325, p = 0.036). On day 8 the values of both PAP and LUS were higher than their corresponding values on days 3 and 13 (p < 0.01). On day 8 the positive rate for increased PAP and LUS was 92.9% (39/42) and 90.5% (38/42), respectively, and the combined positive rate for these two was 97.6% (41/42). On day 8 the inner diameters of the right atrium, right ventricle, and pulmonary artery differed significantly from their corresponding values on days 3 and 13 (p < 0.05).Conclusions: PAP is positively correlated with LUS. The two should be combined for a more informative assessment of the status of recovery from COVID-19 pneumonia.