Diaphragmatic Weakness Might Explain Persistent Dyspnea After COVID-19

Patients with dyspnea despite normal pulmonary and cardiac function had evidence of diaphragmatic weakness.

Dyspnea with exertion can persist for many months after COVID-19, often in the absence of parenchymal lung abnormalities, cardiac dysfunction, or issues with gas exchange. One potential contributor could be diaphragmatic weakness, particularly in patients who were supported with mechanical ventilation.

German investigators studied 50 patients who had been hospitalized with COVID-19; half had acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) that required mechanical ventilation, and half were supported with supplemental oxygen alone. A third of the patients with ARDS required extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

Fifteen months after discharge, all patients had normal pulmonary function testing, echocardiography, hemoglobin levels, and blood gas analy…

Reviewing Author

Patricia Kritek, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsATS Scholar

Patricia Kritek, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsATS Scholar

Diaphragmatic Weakness Might Explain Persistent Dyspnea After COVID-19

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Reviewing Author