chronic dyspnea in iranian covid-19 recovered patients: a retrospective study

Background: chronic dyspnea is one of the most prevalent symptoms of post-covid syndrome. for healthcare professionals and those involved in rehabilitating covid-19 survivors, organized, evidence-based information resources can be highly effective in improving the quality of care programs.objectives: this study aimed to determine the prevalence of chronic dyspnea and its associated factors among iranian patients who have recovered from covid-19, with at least three months having passed since their hospital discharge. methods: this retrospective analytical study, conducted in 2023, included 400 participants selected through simple random sampling at imam hossein hospital, affiliated with shahid beheshti university of medical sciences. data collection involved a demographic and clinical information checklist and a modified self-administered questionnaire based on the medical research council (mrc) chronic dyspnea scale. data analysis was conducted using spss software with a 95% confidence interval (ci = 0.95, p = 0.05), employing chi-square tests and logistic regression to assess potential relationships among study variables associated with chronic dyspnea. results: the average age of patients was 52.96 years (sd = 14.77, range = 14 to 87). regarding dyspnea, most patients (247, 61.8%) reported experiencing dyspnea when walking fast or climbing hills. the likelihood of chronic dyspnea increased by 3.1 times with a rise in bmi (p < 0.001), 1.36 times with age (p < 0.001), and decreased with exercise (or = 0.93, 95% ci: 0.94, 0.99, p = 0.01). also, exercise helps reduce shortness of breath, while a history of surgery can increase it due to the weakening of the respiratory muscles. conclusion: the high prevalence of chronic dyspnea in this population highlights the need for ongoing monitoring and tailored interventions for individuals recovering from covid-19.