TABLE 2.
Basic demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with post‐polio syndrome and healthy controls
| Demographic and clinical characteristics |
Patients with PPS (n = 20) |
HC (n = 20) |
|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | ||
| Mean (SD) | 66.5 (4.7) | 66.3 (6.3) |
| Median (range) | 66.0 (57–76) | 66.0 (54–78) |
| Gender (M:F) | 12:8 | 12:8 |
| Mean age at polio infection (years) | ||
| Mean (SD) | 4.0 (3.4) | NA |
| Median (range) | 2.5 (0.25–10) | |
| Mean interval acute infection to PPS onset (years) | ||
| Mean (SD) | 44.4 (10.1) | NA |
| Median (range) | 43.5 (25–61) | |
| Regions involved at acute infection (n (%)) | ||
| 1 | 6 (30) | NA |
| 2 | 6 (30) | |
| >3 | 8 (40) | |
| Respiratory failure at initial infection (n (%)) | 5 (20) | NA |
| Fatigue a (Fatigue Severity Scale [22]) | ||
| Mean (SD) | 42.6 (13.7) | NA |
| Median (range) | 45 (22–62) | |
| Depression b (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale [23]) | ||
| Mean (SD) | 2.9 (2.0) | NA |
| Median (range) | 2.5 (1–7) | |
| Chronic pain c (Chronic Pain Grading Scale [24]) | ||
| Mean (SD) | 1.3 (0.6) | NA |
| Median (range) | 1 (1–3) | |
Abbreviations: F, female; HC, healthy control; M, male; NA, not applicable; PPS, post‐polio syndrome; SD, standard deviation; range, minimum to maximum.
a
Fatigue Severity Scale: range 7–63, cut‐off for fatigue ≥36.
b
Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale: range 0–21, cut‐off for depression ≥7.
c
Chronic Pain Grade Scale: range 1–3.