Post-COVID-19 Condition and Pulmonary Embolism

Hsien-Po Huang; Hsiu-Wen Wang; Chia-Hsin Cheng; Yi-Shan Chang; Ting-Kuang Yeh; Wei-Hsuan Huang; Chia-Wei Liu; Chih-Hung Chang; Po-Yu Liu; Yu-Chun Yen; Chien-Hao Tseng

doi:10.2147/JMDH.S492159

Post-COVID-19 Condition and Pulmonary Embolism

J Multidiscip Healthc. 2024 Dec 27:17:6153-6159. doi: 10.2147/JMDH.S492159. eCollection 2024.

Authors

Hsien-Po Huang^{1

2}, Hsiu-Wen Wang¹, Chia-Hsin Cheng¹, Yi-Shan Chang¹, Ting-Kuang Yeh^{1

2}, Wei-Hsuan Huang¹, Chia-Wei Liu¹, Chih-Hung Chang³, Po-Yu Liu^{1

2

4

5

6}, Yu-Chun Yen⁷, Chien-Hao Tseng¹

Affiliations

¹ Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
² Genomic Center for Infectious Diseases, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
³ Department of Computer Science and Communication Engineering, Providence University, Taichung, Taiwan.
⁴ Doctoral Program in Translational Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan.
⁵ Rong Hsing Research Center for Translational Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan.
⁶ Department of Post-Baccalaureate Medicine, College of Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan.
⁷ Division of Clinical Informatics, Department of Digital Medicine, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.

Abstract

Purpose: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes post-acute sequelae of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), including pulmonary vasculopathy, increasing thrombotic risk. Screening and treating survivors are essential to reduce associated disabilities. We aim to investigate the clinical characteristics of patients with post-COVID-19 condition and pulmonary embolism, as well as their health-related quality of life one year after COVID-19 diagnosis.

Patients and methods: In our study, we analyzed nine cases of post-COVID-19 condition and pulmonary embolism in a tertiary hospital in Taiwan. Patient characteristics, including age, sex, symptoms, and outcomes, were recorded. One year post-diagnosis, patients underwent follow-up with lab tests, chest X-rays, electrocardiograms, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) assessments using the EuroQoL 5-Dimension 5-Level (EQ-5D-5L) tool.

Results: Post-COVID-19 condition with pulmonary embolism predominantly affects females. Common symptoms include breathlessness and chest pain, and a lung perfusion scan may be useful for diagnosis. The one-year follow-up of five patients mainly showed normal lab results and no active lung lesions. The mean EQ-5D score was 0.928 ± 0.119, and the EQ visual analogue scale (EQ-VAS) was 85.00 ± 11.18. Pain/discomfort was the most reported issue.

Conclusion: This research reveals that post-COVID-19 condition with pulmonary embolism affects a significant number of women and those with preexisting conditions like cancer or diabetes. Symptoms overlap also complicates diagnosis. Although many lab results were normal, the elevated risk of pulmonary embolism persists. Lower utility scores and increased anxiety highlight the need for targeted interventions and mental health support. Our study underscores the importance of monitoring pulmonary embolism in patients after COVID-19 infection, given the significant impact on post-COVID-19 condition and overall health outcomes.

Keywords: EQ-5D; SARS-CoV-2; health related quality of life; pulmonary vasculopathy.

Grants and funding

This project is funded by Taichung Veterans General Hospital (TCVGH-1140901C, TCVGH-1140901D, TCVGH-1133901E, TCVGH-NCHU1137629, TCVGH-PU1128105, TCVGH-PU1148003, TCVGH-TTMHH1143012, TCVGH-SCCS1143005), National Science and Technology Council (112-2314-B-075A-006, 113-2320-B-075A-002) and the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW113-TDU-B-211-114006).