EPIDEMIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF PATIENTS WITH AND WITHOUT PRIOR COVID-19 INFECTION IN OUTPATIENT VASCULAR SURGERY PRACTICE

Abstract

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic and its multisystemic complications have provoked an increased demand for medical care from various specialists, including vascular surgeons. Aim: To determine the epidemiological characteristics of patients with and without a history of COVID-19 in outpatient vascular surgery practice. Materials and Methods: A retrospective clinicoepidemiological study was conducted in the period 1 January 2021-31 December 2022 (2 years). The study included 1104 patients examined in one vascular surgery practice in prehospital medical care. After anamnesis, a clinical examination and duplex-Doppler sonography were performed in each patient. Statistical analysis was performed with SPSSv.19; a value of p < 0.05 is considered significant. Results: Of all patients aged 13 to 98 years (mean 60.13 years) who visited the practice, 701 (63.5%) were female and 403 (36.5%) were male. In 334 (30.3%), no vascular pathology was found, 770 (69.7%) were diagnosed with peripheral vascular insufficiency, and 47 (4.3%) had lymphedema. One thousand and nine patients (91.4%) denied prior COVID-19, and 95 (8.6%) confirmed having experienced the infection. Peripheral vascular pathology was found in 60 (7.8%) of the patients who had prior COVID-19, and in 35 (10.5%) such pathology was not verified (p > 0.05). In terms of sex distribution, 75 (10.7%) of female patients who survived COVID-19 infection sought outpatient consultation, compared to 20 (5.0%) of examined males (p < 0.05). Patients with a lower than median age who survived COVID-19 demonstrated a significantly higher demand for outpatient vascular surgical care (p < 0.05). Discussion: Many studies demonstrate endothelial damage and microangiopathy, which cannot be registered during clinical examination, but sometimes provoke symptoms resembling macroangiopathy. Gender differences in the immune response after survived infection, as well as vascular recovery, probably account for the higher proportion of female patients. Conclusion: The present study demonstrates a different epidemiological and nosological profile of patients who survived COVID-19, compared to those in hospital care.