Original Research Article
Year: 2023 | Month: April-June | Volume: 8 | Issue: 2 | Pages: 35-42
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52403/gijhsr.20230207
The Sociodemographic and Clinical Profile of Post Covid Patients with Neurological Manifestations Attending a Tertiary Care Centre
Ibrahim Ali Saleem1, Udayamma K P2
1Junior Resident, Department of Medicine, Govt. T D Medical College, KUHS University, Alappuzha, India
2Professor (CAP) Department of Medicine Govt. T D Medical College, KUHS University, Alappuzha, India
Corresponding Author: Ibrahim Ali Saleem
ABSTRACT
COVID-19 has spread worldwide in the past 3 years since first being recognized in Wuhan in central China in December 2019. The virus inflicts damage to the respiratory system causing hypoxia, causes endothelitis, incites cytokine storm, and antibody production. Binding of the virus to ACE-2 both in the blood–brain barrier and in the meninges leads to encephalitis or myelitis, leading to sequelae post infection, comprising the post COVID syndrome.
This study aimed to determine the sociodemographic and clinical profile of post COVID patients with neurological manifestations attending a tertiary care centre.
A hospital-based descriptive study was done among 261 post COVID patients who attended the post COVID OPD, General Medicine and Neurology OPD and corresponding wards in Govt. T D Medical College, Alappuzha during a period of 1 year. Samples were selected by consecutive sampling method. Data were collected using a structured proforma after taking history and clinically examining the patients seeking new onset or worsening neurological symptoms and signs.
It was noted that among a total of 261 subjects with neurological manifestations post COVID, the most common neurological presenting complaints were tremor (50.6%). This was followed by sleep disturbance (39.5%), neurocognitive decay (30.3%) and anosmia (29.9%).
New onset neurological manifestations are seen in post COVID patients in the form of tremor, sleep disturbances, neurocognitive decline and anosmia, among less common but significant other presentations like stroke and GBS.
Keywords: COVID, post COVID syndrome, neurological manifestations, post COVID neuropathy