Factors influencing long-term recovery in critically ill COVID-19 survivors: A prospective multicentre cohort study

Abstract

Background: Long-term outcomes after critical COVID-19 have not been sufficiently studied. This study aimed to describe changes in functional outcome and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) assessed at 3 and 12 months in a cohort of critically ill COVID-19 survivors. A secondary aim was to investigate factors associated with good functional outcome and HRQoL at 12 months. Methods: This prospective multicentre cohort study included critically ill COVID-19 patients admitted to six intensive care units in Sweden between May 2020 and May 2021. Surviving patients were invited to face-to-face follow-ups at 3 and 12 months. A good functional outcome was a Glasgow outcome scale extended ≥7. HRQoL was assessed by the physical and mental component summary of the SF-36v2 Results: Good functional outcome was found in 93/264 (35%) and 138/217 (64%) of survivors at 3 and 12 months, respectively. There was a significant improvement in the SF-36v2 Conclusion: Between 3 and 12 months, functional outcome and physical aspects of HRQoL significantly improved, indicating continued recovery up to at least one year after critical COVID-19. Younger age, low frailty, less comorbidity, and shorter duration of mechanical ventilation were associated with better long-term outcomes. Study registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:NCT04974775, registered April 28, 2020. Key words: COVID-19, HRQoL, Post intensive care syndrome, intensive care, Post-acute COVID-19 syndrome