Search

Objective. To update the evidence map on the effects of interventions for post-acute COVID-19 rehabilitation. Method. The search scope was defined according to the population (patients with symptomatic COVID-19 and post-acute COVID sequelae), the context (interventions for rehabilitation), and the type of study (systematic reviews, rapid reviews, scoping reviews or overviews of reviews). Following a search in PubMed and the Virtual Health Library, two independent authors selected the articles for review. The map was updated on July 27, 2022, using the same procedures employed in the initial review. Results. The initial evidence map included 22 studies (four systematic reviews, four rapid reviews, four reviews of case reports, one scoping review, and nine systematic review protocols). In the present update, an additional 10 studies were included. The analysis revealed four groups of interventions (multimodal, therapeutic, complementary, and pharmacological) and seven groups of outcomes (pathological conditions, diseases/ respiratory disorders, pain, physiological and metabolic markers, mental health/quality of life, sensory function, and mortality), totaling 166 associations between interventions and outcomes. The highest number of associations was observed for complementary therapies (n = 94). Among the outcomes, the highest number of associations was observed for physiological and metabolic markers, pathological conditions, and mental health/quality of life (44, 41, and 35 associations respectively). Conclusions. The map update involved the analysis of 69 associations, most notably exercise (isolated, multicomponent, or multimodal intervention), with 23 positive and four potentially positive effects) and pharmacologic and complementary therapies for sensorial functions (15 associations). The high number of systematic review protocols indicates that the literature is still incipient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To characterize the frequency, causes, and predictors of readmissions of COVID-19 patients after discharge from heath facilities or emergency departments, interventions used to reduce readmissions, and outcomes of COVID-19 patients discharged from such settings. Methods. We performed a systematic review for case series and observational studies published between January 2020 and April 2021 in PubMed, Embase, LILACS, and MedRxiv, reporting the frequency, causes, or risk factors for readmission of COVID-19 survivors/patients. We conducted a narrative synthesis and assessed the methodological quality using the JBI critical appraisal checklist. Results. We identified 44 studies including data from 10 countries. The overall 30-day median readmission rate was 7.1%. Readmissions varied with the length of follow-up, occurring <10.5%, <14.5%, <21.5%, and <30%, respectively, for 10, 30, 60, and 253 days following discharge. Among those followed up for 30 and 60 days, the median time from discharge to readmission was 3 days and 8-11 days, respectively. The significant risk factor associated with readmission was having shorter length of stay, and the important causes included respiratory or thromboembolic events and chronic illnesses. Emergency department re-presentation was >20% in four studies. Risk factors associated with mortality were male gender, advanced age, and comorbidities. Conclusions. Readmission of COVID-19 survivors is frequent, and post-discharge mortality is significant in specific populations. There is an urgent need to further examine underlying reasons for early readmission and to prevent additional readmissions and adverse outcomes in COVID-19 survivors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]