Table 1.
Clinical, Demographic, and Biopsy Characteristics of the 50 Patients Included in the Study
| Characteristic | N = 50 |
|---|---|
| Women, No. (%) | 24 (48) |
| Age, y, mean (range) | 58.2 (38-76) |
| Smoker or former smoker; nonsmoker, No. (%) | 18 (36%); 32 (64) |
| In-patient time, d, median (95% CI) | 24.5 (18.5-34) |
| ICU time (n = 33), d, mean (range) | 16.9 (2-33) |
| Time from diagnosis of COVID-19 to FB, d, median (IQR) | 107.5 (93.5-151) |
| Time from discharge to FB, d, median, 95% CI | 87.5 (84.7-99.9) |
| Comorbidities | |
| Cardiovascular, No. (%) | 16 (32) |
| Metabolic syndrome, No. (%) | 21 (42) |
| Malignancies, No. (%) | 6 (12) |
| Immunosuppression, No. (%) | 4 (8) |
| Pulmonary arterial hypertension, No. (%) | 1 (2) |
| Clinical Criteria | |
| mMRC 0, No. (%) | 9 (18) |
| mMRC 1, No. (%) | 16 (32) |
| mMRC 2, No. (%) | 21 (42) |
| mMRC 3, No. (%) | 4 (8) |
| mMRC 4, No. (%) | 0 (0) |
| Respiratory Function Test | |
| FVC, %, median (CI 95%) | 79.6 (71.5-87.7) |
| FEV1, %, median (CI 95%) | 85.6 (74.7-93.5) |
| Dlco, %, mean (range) | 54.5 (29.6-89.1) |
| CT Scan | |
| Bilateral ground-glass opacities, No. (%) | 44 (88) |
| Reticulation, No. (%) | 36 (72) |
| Consolidation, No. (%) | 11 (22) |
| Subpleural lines, No. (%) | 11 (22) |
| Flexible Bronchoscopy | |
| TBC located on right lower lobe, No. (%) | 39 (78) |
| No. of TBC, mean (range) | 5 (3-5) |
| Total TBC volume per patient, cm3, median (95% CI) | 0.205 (0.152-0.294) |
| Mean volume of each TBC, cm3, median (95% CI) | 0.041 (0.032-0.059) |
| Moderate hemorrhage after TBC, No. (%) | 20 (40) |
| Serious hemorrhage after TBC, No. (%) | 0 (0) |
| Pneumothorax after TBC, No. (%) | 0 (0) |
Dlco = diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide; FB = flexible bronchoscope; IQR = interquartile range; mMRC = modified Medical Research Council Dyspnea Scale; TBC = transbronchial cryobiopsy