Comparison of quadriceps muscle strength, functional capacity and fatigue at hospital discharge and after 12 months in COVID-19 hospitalized patients undergoing early rehabilitation: a follow-up study.

Abstract

To compare quadriceps muscle strength, functional capacity, and fatigue at hospital discharge and after 12 months in hospitalized individuals with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) who underwent early rehabilitation, and to verify whether quadriceps muscle strength at hospital discharge and functional capacity at 12 months later could be correlated. This was a prospective cohort study. Isometric quadriceps muscle strength, the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), and the Checklist Individual Strength (CIS) scale were assessed at discharge and after 12 months. Of the 34 individuals, 17 completed the 12-month follow-up. Although the quadriceps muscle strength significantly improved (<i>p</i> = 0.046), 59.0% of individuals stayed below 70% of predicted values. SPPB score also significantly improved (<i>p</i> = 0.001), but some individuals still demonstrated moderate to low performance. CIS scale score did not change. Quadriceps muscle strength at discharge was correlated with the SPPB score 12 months later (<i>r</i> = 0.675; <i>p</i> = 0.006) and explained 45.6% of the variance in SPPB after 12 months (R²=0.456; <i>p</i> = 0.006). Quadriceps muscle strength and SPPB score improved 12 months after hospital discharge due to COVID-19. However, some individuals still present impairments. Moreover, quadriceps muscle strength at discharge explained functional capacity after 12 months. Thus, early rehabilitation is essential for functional improvement.