Breath assessment at with post-tuberculosis patients suffered new coronavirus infection

BACKGROUND: The possibility of mutual aggravation of post-tuberculosis and post-COVID respiratory pathologies requires additional consideration.

AIM: To study some subjective breathing parameters at patients with post-tuberculosis pulmonary residual changes after a new coronavirus infection recovering.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included two groups: the main group — 14 patients with cured pulmonary tuberculosis, who had recovered from a new coronavirus infection, a comparison group — 52 patients with post-tuberculosis changes non-sick new coronavirus infection who were admitted to the tuberculosis sanatorium “Glukhovskaya” in 2020–2021. The severity of shortness of breath using the Modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) and Borg scales was assessed upon admission to the sanatorium and a month later.

Results: The mMRC scale was 1.5 ± 1.4 and 2.1 ± 0.2 and the Borg scale was 1.5 ± 1.4 and 2.9 ± 0.2 before treatment respectively in the main group and the comparison group. According to the mMRC scale initially 14.3 and 11.5% of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and the comparison group did not complain of shortness of breath and 50% of pulmonary tuberculosis patients and 42.4% of the comparison group defined it as severe. After a month there were 3 or 4 points on the mMRC scale among pulmonary tuberculosis patients. In the comparison group 3-point shortness of breath decreased by 11.2 times most often indicated shortness of breath with 2 score. According to the Borg scale dyspnea was initially assessed as 3 points at 71.5% pulmonary tuberculosis patients. In the comparison group 67.3% patients had grade 3 dyspnea and 11.5% noted 4–6 grade shortness of breath. After a month the proportion of patients with mild shortness of breath at the pulmonary tuberculosis and comparison groups increased by 4.5 and 3.3 times, respectively, and the frequency of 3-grade shortness of breath decreased by 5 and 3.9 times.

CONCLUSIONS: Major post-tuberculosis changes, smoking and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease determine the severity of breathing discomfort to a greater extent than the experience of new coronavirus infection but rehabilitation treatment are leveled out these differences. It is advisable to study the state of the respiratory system at patients cured of pulmonary tuberculosis.