[en] [en] OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this observational retrospective study was to evaluate, in patients with a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection, the association between the severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) respiratory illness and the risk of infected patients to develop obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
METHODS: Ninety-six patients with confirmed COVID-19 infection were enrolled in the study. The STOP-BANG questionnaire to investigate the risk of the OSA syndrome was filled in by the patients at admission. The enrolled patients were divided into 2 groups according to the respiratory disease: group 1 (72 patients), hospitalized patients undergoing conventional oxygen therapy; group 2 (24 patients), patients requiring enhanced respiratory support. STOP-BANG results of these 2 groups were compared to observe whether patients with high OSA risk more frequently presented a severe form of COVID-19.
RESULTS: 41.6% of the patients in group 2 had a STOP-BANG score between 5 and 8 (high risk of having apnea); in contrast, 20.8% of the patients in group 1 had a STOP-BANG score between 5 and 8, with a statistically significant difference between the 2 groups (P = .05). A complementary trend was observed regarding the proportion of patients in the range 0 to 2, which classifies patients at a low risk of OSA (48.6% vs 20.8% for groups 1 and 2, P = .01).
CONCLUSIONS: According to our data, the chances of having a severe case of COVID-19 should be considered in patients at high risk of OSA.
CURRENT KNOWLEDGE/STUDY RATIONALE: Emerging research suggests that OSA could represent a potentially important risk factor for the severe forms of COVID-19. The purpose of this observational retrospective study was to evaluate the potential association between OSA and the severity of COVID-19 disease.
STUDY IMPACT: According to our data, the likelihood of contracting a severe form of COVID-19 disease should be considered in patients at high risk of OSA.
Disciplines :
Otolaryngology
Author, co-author :
Iannella, Giannicola; Department of Head-Neck Surgery, Otolaryngology, Head-Neck and Oral Surgery Unit, Morgagni Pierantoni Hospital, Forlì, Italy
Vicini, Claudio; Department of Head-Neck Surgery, Otolaryngology, Head-Neck and Oral Surgery Unit, Morgagni Pierantoni Hospital, Forlì, Italy ; Department of ENT & Audiology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
Lechien, Jérome ; Université de Mons - UMONS > Faculté de Psychologie et des Sciences de l'Education > Service de Métrologie et Sciences du langage ; Université de Mons - UMONS > Faculté de Médecine et de Pharmacie > Service de Chirurgie
Poletti, Venerino; Pulmonology Unit, Thoracic Diseases Department, G.B. Morgagni Hospital, Forlì, Italy ; Department of Respiratory Diseases and Allergy, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
di Cesare, Simona; Medicine Department, G.B. Morgagni Hospital, Forlì, Italy
Amicarelli, Elena; Medicine Department, G.B. Morgagni Hospital, Forlì, Italy
Gardelli, Lucia; Medicine Department, G.B. Morgagni Hospital, Forlì, Italy
Grosso, Carmela; Department of Infectious Diseases, G.B. Morgagni Hospital, Forlì, Italy
Patacca, Aria; Department of Infectious Diseases, G.B. Morgagni Hospital, Forlì, Italy
Magistrelli, Eleonora; Department of Infectious Diseases, G.B. Morgagni Hospital, Forlì, Italy
De Benedetto, Michele; ENT Unit, "V. Fazzi" Hospital, ASL Lecce, Italy
Toraldo, Domenico Maurizio; Hospital Rehabilitation Department, Cardio-Respiratory Care Unit, "V. Fazzi", ASL Lecce, Italy
Arigliani, Michele; ENT Unit, "V. Fazzi" Hospital, ASL Lecce, Italy
Cammaroto, Giovanni; Department of ENT & Audiology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
Meccariello, Giuseppe; Department of ENT & Audiology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
De Vito, Andrea; Department of Head-Neck Surgery, Otolaryngology, Head-Neck and Oral Surgery Unit, Ospedale "Santa Maria delle Croci", Viale Vincenzo Randi, Ravenna, Italy
Magliulo, Giuseppe ; Department of "Organi di Senso," University "Sapienza," Rome, Italy
Greco, Antonio; Department of "Organi di Senso," University "Sapienza," Rome, Italy
de Vincentiis, Marco; Department of "Organi di Senso," University "Sapienza," Rome, Italy
Ralli, Massimo; Department of "Organi di Senso," University "Sapienza," Rome, Italy
Pace, Annalisa; Department of "Organi di Senso," University "Sapienza," Rome, Italy
Maniaci, Antonino ; Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technologies "GF Ingrassia," ENT Section, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
Cocuzza, Salvatore; Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technologies "GF Ingrassia," ENT Section, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
Seligardi, Matteo; Infectious Disease Unit, Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale - IRCCS di Reggio, Emilia, Italy
di Giacinto, Ida ; Anesthesia and Intensive Care, Anestesia e Terapia Intensiva Polivalente, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria, Sant'Orsola-Malpighi - Alma Mater Studiorum, Bologna, Italy
Corso, Ruggero Massimo; Intensive Care Unit, Morgagni-Pierantoni Hospital, AUSL of Romagna, Forlì, Italy
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