Functional, psychiatric, cognitive, and quality of life outcomes in survivors of COVID-19 critical illness at a safety-net hospital

Research Objectives: To describe the functional, psychiatric, cognitive and quality of life outcomes of a select population of critically ill COVID-19 ARDS adult survivors who required mechanical ventilation, in a safety-net hospital.

Design: Subjects were referred to a physiatry clinic designated for COVID-19 survivors after hospital discharge and established care in 2021. Patients received routine physiatry care and psychological screening. Data was collected retrospectively from the electronic medical record, and descriptive analysis summarized patient characteristics.

Setting: Parkland Memorial Hospital

Participants: 39 patients met the inclusion criteria. Mean age was 50.2 years (SD 11.3), 53.9% female, and 87.2% identified as white, all of which were Latino or Hispanic. 20 patients were unfunded before hospitalization, and 11 had previously established charity funding.

Interventions: Critically ill COVID-19 ARDS adult survivors who required mechanical ventilation in a safety-net hospital. received routine physiatry care and psychological screening

Main Outcome Measures: Generalized anxiety disorder 7 (GAD7)
Patient health questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9)
Post-traumatic stress disorder checklist-civilian
Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS)

Results: The results of survey data: generalized anxiety disorder 7 (GAD7) mean 3.4 (4.3); patient health questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9) 6.3 (5.9); post-traumatic stress disorder checklist-civilian (PCL-C) 29.7 (13.8); Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) 25.7 (9.1). 5 (12.8%) patients reported subjective cognitive deficits.

Conclusions: Surveys suggest new mild depression and some moderate PTSD symptoms. Quality of life fell between slightly satisfied to satisfied. The study lacked formal cognitive assessments, but results suggest at least mildly persistent cognitive symptoms in 12.8%. This cohort is unlikely representative of all critically ill COVID-19 ARDS survivors of this safety-net hospital. Some studies suggest higher rates of cognitive symptoms in other COVID-19 populations and other ICU survivor populations and warrant further evaluation.

Author(s) Disclosures: None