Neurological complications associated with COVID-19. Saint Vincent de Paul Hospital, 2021

Abstract

Background: COVID-19 is caused by the SARS-Cov-2 virus and presents a wide range of symptoms, both in its acute phase and in its chronic phase. Among the systems that it affects is the Nervous, due to its neurotropic mechanism. Objective: to determine the risk of neurological complications associated with the COVID-19 severity in adult patients. Methods: a descriptive and cross-sectional study was carried out, which included 143 positive patients for COVID-19 treated at the San Vicente de Paúl Hospital, in Ibarra, Ecuador, during 2021. Neurological complications and the severity of the COVID-19 disease were analyzed. As a measure of association for these variables, the Fisher Test was used (p = ≤ 0.05) and a bivariate analysis was performed. Results: 54% of the patients presented neurological complications of the Central Nervous System, while 46% were of the Peripheral Nervous System; and mild-moderate severity was the most frequent (41%), and hearing impairment had the highest statistical probability of occurring (OR= 74.968; CI: 95%). The case fatality rate in these patients was 7.1%; and in those with neurological complications, 8.4%. Conclusion: the neurological sequelae most likely to occur were hearing impairment and taste impairment, in patients with mild severity and serious severity, respectively; in addition to polyneuropathy in patients with critical severity, which also occurred in deceased patients. Keywords: Coronavirus infections; neurologic manifestations; central nervous system; peripheral nervous system; severity of illness index

Keywords

• infecciones por coronavirus
• manifestaciones neurológicas
• sistema nervioso central
• sistema nervioso periférico
• índice de severidad de la enfermedad