PULMONARY AND EXTRAPULMONARY POST COVID-19 CHRONIC COUGH

Abstract

Chronic cough is one of important post Covid-19 challenge of 21 century and with them associated management difficulties are an active issue in clinical medicine. The presented study is aimed at screening and identifying some pulmonary and extrapulmonary conditions which are reason of post Covid-19 pandemic chronic cough in West Georgian population.

58 patients (18 to 75 years of age, 34 women and 24 men) were involved in the study. The research design included: 1) collection of anamnesis 2) assessment of airway hyperreactivity and hypersensitivity by a modern, computerized spirometer - Spirolab 3; 3) studying and analysis of laboratory markers, such as: C-reactive protein, Helicobacter pylori, total IgE, Vitamin D3. Based on the analysis of results patients were divided into two groups: 27 (46,5%) patients with pulmonary chronic cough were involved in group I, and 31 (53,5%) patients with extrapulmonary chronic cough - in group II, respectively. Reliable changes (p>0.05) in the spirometric parameters (FEV1; FVC; FEV1/FVC) were observed in the I group after computerized spirometry performed to determine the degree of possible obstruction and/or restriction in the lung and bronchus and, consequently, the severity of respiratory failure, compared to the II groups. In the II group patients, the spirometric indicators varied within the norm. With studying and analysis of laboratory markers, such as: C-reactive protein, Helicobacter pylori, total IgE, Vitamin D3 was found the statistically significant changes between the patients from both groups. In addition, the study results are also interesting and meaningful not just scientific sense but from clinical perspective as well. Consequently, researches are actively keep continuing in this direction worldwide.