COVID-19 pandemija izbila je u prosincu 2019 godine na području kineske pokrajine Wuhan sa manifestacijom neobjašnjive upale pluća. Globalno, do 12. travnja 2023. godine bilo je 762,791,152 potvrđenih slučajeva COVID-19, uključujući 6,897,025 smrti, prema podacima Svjetske zdravstvene organizacije. Kasnije utvrđena posljedica koja zaostaje u dijela pacijenata sa COVID-19 je post-COVID sindrom (PCS). Post -COVID sindrom povezuje se sa težom kliničke slike akutnog COVID-19. Starija životna dob, muški spol i postojeći komorbiditeti povezuju se sa nastankom post-COVID sindroma. Zlatni standard za postavljanje dijagnoze post-COVID sindroma je kompjutorizirana tomografija (CT ) prsnog koša iako se RTG snimka grudnih organa preporuča i obavlja prije CT-a. Najčešće radiološke abnormalnosti koje se navode u literaturi su zasjenjenja zrnatog stakla ( eng. ground glass opacity ( GGO)), linearna trakasta zasjenjenja i bronhiektazije i/ili fibrotične promjene prolongirana pneumonija, dok su najčešće post-COVID manifestacije respiratornog sustava organizirana pneumonija (OP), post-COVID intersticijska plućna bolest (eng. post-COVID interstitial lung disease (PC- ILD) kao i plućna tromboembolija (PTE) i pneumotoraks koji se dovode u korelaciju sa post-COVID sindromom i ovise o težini kliničke slike COVID-19. Iako točni mehanizmi PTE i pneumotoraska u COVID-19 nisu u potpunosti objašnjeni, zamijećeno je da je značajan broj pacijenata sa post-COVID sindromom prethodno imao težu akutnu fazu bolesti i razvili su komplikacije. Našim istraživanjem potvrdili smo da je učestalost starije životne dobi jedan od glavnih prediktora za razvitak post-COVID sindroma te pridruženih radioloških abnormalnosti što se slaže sa postojećim podacima iz literature. Uspjeli smo i dokazati najčešću prisutnost linearnih trakastih zasjenjenja kod čak 48% ispitanika kao radiološke abnormalnosti verificirane CT-om što je u skladu sa navodima iz literature. Najčešća komplikacija bila je PC-ILD, PTE je uočena kod 22% ispitanika te se smatra rjeđom komplikacijom. Pneumotoraks je rijetka komplikacija koja se dovodi u vezu sa post-COVID sindromom te se javlja u svega 1-2% slučajeva. Obrazovanje zdravstvenih radnika i razumijevanje simptoma i kliničke slike post-COVID sindroma od iznimne je važnosti u borbi protiv ove nove bolesti.
The COVID-19 pandemic broke out in December 2019 in the Chinese province of Wuhan with the manifestation of unexplained pneumonia. Globally, 12th of April 2023, there have been 762,791,152 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 6,897,025 deaths, reported to WHO. A later established consequence that lags behind in some patients with COVID-19 is the post-COVID syndrome (PCS). Post-COVID syndrome is a associated with the severity of the clinical picture of acute COVID-19. Older age, male gender and existing comorbidities are associated with the onset of post-COVID syndrome. The gold standard for the diagnosis of post-COVID syndrome is chest computed tomography (CT), although a chest X-ray is recommended and performed as a pre-emptive CT scan. The most common radiological abnormalities reported in the literature are residual pneumonia, organizing pneumonia (OP), post-DOVID intersticial lung disease (PC-ILD), ground glass opacity (GGO), linear banded opacities, and bronchiectasis and/or fibrotic changes. The diagnoses of pulmonary embolism (PTE) and pneumothorax are correlated with the post-COVID syndrome and the severity of the clinical picture of COVID-19. Although the exact mechanisms and the association of COVID-19 with PTE and pneumothorax have not been established, significant increases in the number of patients with these diagnoses have been observed, who previously had a more severe clinical picture of COVID-19 or developed post-COVID syndrome. Through our research, we have confirmed that the frequency of older age is one of the main predictors for the development of post-COVID syndrome and associated radiological abnormalities, which agrees with the existing literature. We were also able to prove the most frequent presence of linear band shadows in as many as 48% of subjects as a radiological abnormality verified by CT, which also agrees with the statements from the existing literature. PTE as a complication of COVID-19 was observed in 22% of respondents and is considered a rare complication. Pneumothorax is a very rare but often fatal complication of complications associated with post-COVID syndrome and occurs in only 1-2% of cases. Education of healthcare workers and understanding of the symptoms and clinical picture of post-COVID syndrome is extremely important in the fight against this new, unexplored disease.