Hastanede Yatan COVID-19 Tanılı Hastalarda Görülen Nörolojik Semptomlar ve Hastalık Şiddeti ile İlişkisi

Abstract

Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) spread rapidly all over the world, causing a pandemic. Neurological findings have also been reported in patients since the beginning of the pandemic. Recent data suggest that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has both neurotropic and neurovirulent effects. This study aimed to evaluate the presence of neurological findings in hospitalized patients with the diagnosis of COVID-19 and the relationship of these findings with the severity of COVID-19. Material and Methods: Patients, positive for SARS-CoV-2 and had an indication of hospitalization were included in the study. Demographic characteristics, systemic symptoms, laboratory values and computed chest tomography findings of the patients were recorded. Neurological findings of the patients were evaluated by an experienced neurologist, and the relationship between these findings and the disease severity was analyzed. Results: The median age of 66 patients (33 females, 33 males) included in the study was 34.5. Of the patients, 33 (50%) had mild, 28 (42.4%) had moderate, 5 (7.6%) had severe COVID-19. The most common symptom was fever (48.5%). At least one neurologic symptom was detected in 43 patients (65.2%). Dysgeusia (27.3%), hyposmia-anosmia (27.3%), headache (25.8%) and muscle pain (24.2%) were the most common neurological symptoms. Among mild COVID-19 patients, individuals with neurological symptoms had longer hospitalization periods, than the patients without neurological symptoms (p=0.017). Conclusion: Neurological symptoms were observed in the majority of patients with COVID-19 in this study. Besides this study revealed that neurological symptoms may occur not only in aged intensive care patients with COVID-19, but also in young patients, with mild COVID-19. Therefore the hospitalization period may be prolonged in this patient group. In conclusion, regardless of its severity, physicians should keep in mind that COVID-19 may be a potential risk factor for neurological disorders. Keywords: COVID-19, pandemic, neurological symptoms, nervous system invasion