Exploring the trajectory curve of long-term musculoskeletal post-COVID pain symptoms in hospitalized COVID-19 survivors: a multicenter study. Issue 2 (13th June 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Fernández-de-las-Peñas, César; Cancela-Cilleruelo, Ignacio; Moro-López-Menchero, Paloma; Rodríguez-Jiménez, Jorge; Pellicer-Valero, Oscar J.; Martín-Guerrero, José D.; Arendt-Nielsen, Lars
• Is Part Of: Pain. Volume 164:Issue 2(2023)
• Page Start: 413
• Page End: 420
• Publication Date: 2022-06-13
• Subjects: COVID-19 -- Musculoskeletal pain -- Post-COVID -- Risk factors -- Prevalence; Pain -- Periodicals; Douleur -- Périodiques; Anesthésie -- Périodiques; Pain; Electronic journals; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 616.0472
• DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002718
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0304-3959

Abstract

Abstract : Female sex, previous history of pain symptoms, pain symptoms at onset, and days at hospital were factors associated with highly prevalent musculoskeletal post-COVID pain 1 year after hospitalization. Abstract: This multicenter cohort study investigated the prevalence of musculoskeletal post-COVID pain during the first year after the infection with mosaic plots and an exponential bar plot model and its associated risk factors. Patients hospitalized because of COVID-19 in 5 hospitals of Madrid (Spain) were scheduled for a telephone interview at 2 follow-up periods after hospitalization for collecting data about musculoskeletal post-COVID pain. Hospitalization and clinical data were collected from hospital medical records. From 2000 patients initially recruited, 1593 (44.6% women, age: 61 ± 15 years) were assessed at T0 (hospital admission), T1 (mean: 8.0 ± 1.5 months after discharge), and T2 (mean: 13.2 ± 1.5 months after discharge). The prevalence of musculoskeletal pain (myalgia) was 30.3% (n = 483) at T0, increased to 43.4% (n = 692) at T1, and decreased to 37.8% (n = 603) at T2. The trajectory curve revealed a decreasing prevalence trend of musculoskeletal post-COVID pain the following years after hospitalization. According to the presence of pre-existing pain symptoms, the prevalence of new-onset post-COVID pain was 75.9%. Female sex (odds ratio [OR] 1.593, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.148-2.211), history of musculoskeletal pain (OR 1.591, 95% CI 1.211-2.07), the presence of myalgia (OR 1.371, 95% CI 1.032-1.821) or headache (OR 2.278, 95% CI 1.622-3.199) at hospitalization, the days of hospitalization (OR 1.013, 95% CI 1.000-1.025), and the presence of post-COVID pain at T1 (OR 11.02, 95% CI 8.493-14.305) were factors associated with musculoskeletal post-COVID pain 1 year after hospitalization. In conclusion, musculoskeletal post-COVID pain remains highly prevalent 1 year after hospitalization. Female sex, previous history of pain symptoms, pain symptoms at onset, and days at hospital were factors associated with musculoskeletal post-COVID pain 1 year after hospitalization.