ANALYSIS OF THE DIFFUSION CAPACITY OF THE LUNGS FOR CARBON MONOXIDE - CLINICAL BIOMARKER IN SETTINGS OF POST-ACUTE CARE OF PATIENTS WITH COVID-19
Journal
Македонски Медицински Преглед = Macedonian Medical Review
Date Issued
2021-12
Author(s)
Arbutina, Suzana
Todevski, Dejan
Abstract
COVID-19 is an infectious disease resulting in respiratory,
neurological, cardiovascular, and digestive disorders
that are likely to stem from a systemic endothelial
dysfunction. Even though the lungs are the major organ
affected by COVID-19, the clinical manifestations
of this disease are widely unpredictable, ranging from
asymptomatic to severe respiratory dysfunction (in about
5% of the cases), which leads to an intensive care.
In all patients affected with pulmonary problems, the lung
function is disturbed in varying degrees of intensity, while
the findings deviate in both the functional and radiological
examinations. The diffusing capacity of the lungs
for carbon monoxide (DLCO) is one of the parameters
that reflect the damage to the alveolocapillary membrane.
DLCO/VA considers the differences in lung size. For this
reason, it is sometimes considered as a more accurate
expression of its own function of gas exchange in the
lungs. The observation that the DLCO may be impaired
while the DLCO/VA may not be impaired in patients
after COVID-19, may be an indication that the diffuse
membrane change plays a significant role in causing
lung dysfunction in comparison to the reduced VA.
The systemic functional assessment should be taken in
consideration for all moderately severe patients infected
with COVID-19 at the time of their discharge from
hospital, and such a multidisciplinary approach can be
provided by individualized rehabilitation programs. Lung
function tests can be considered as necessary tools for
monitoring of the functional impairment, planning of the
rehabilitation, managing of the possible complications,
as well as for prevention of the long-term side effects.
neurological, cardiovascular, and digestive disorders
that are likely to stem from a systemic endothelial
dysfunction. Even though the lungs are the major organ
affected by COVID-19, the clinical manifestations
of this disease are widely unpredictable, ranging from
asymptomatic to severe respiratory dysfunction (in about
5% of the cases), which leads to an intensive care.
In all patients affected with pulmonary problems, the lung
function is disturbed in varying degrees of intensity, while
the findings deviate in both the functional and radiological
examinations. The diffusing capacity of the lungs
for carbon monoxide (DLCO) is one of the parameters
that reflect the damage to the alveolocapillary membrane.
DLCO/VA considers the differences in lung size. For this
reason, it is sometimes considered as a more accurate
expression of its own function of gas exchange in the
lungs. The observation that the DLCO may be impaired
while the DLCO/VA may not be impaired in patients
after COVID-19, may be an indication that the diffuse
membrane change plays a significant role in causing
lung dysfunction in comparison to the reduced VA.
The systemic functional assessment should be taken in
consideration for all moderately severe patients infected
with COVID-19 at the time of their discharge from
hospital, and such a multidisciplinary approach can be
provided by individualized rehabilitation programs. Lung
function tests can be considered as necessary tools for
monitoring of the functional impairment, planning of the
rehabilitation, managing of the possible complications,
as well as for prevention of the long-term side effects.
File(s)![Thumbnail Image]()
Loading...
Name
MMP202175(2).pdf
Size
3.58 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum
(MD5):ab6aad5f09bd298e118dc4f8236b7cf5