Neurological Manifestations in Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients

Abstract

Patients with COVID-19 frequently experience neurological symptoms. Headaches and dizziness are common but non-specific symptoms. Both peripheral and central nervous systems can be impacted in severe stages. We focused on the neurological manifestations of COVID-19 patients in critical care. A cohort study evaluated the acute neurological manifestations in 204 patients admitted to intensive care units (ICU) tertiary Imam Khomeini hospital complex, Tehran, Iran. Patients with positive COVID-19 tests and severe clinical symptoms in both sexes, older than 16 years, were included in the study. Two groups of patients with positive or negative neurologic complications were compared by chi-square or Fisher exact test for categorical variables. The differences in continuous variables between the two groups were investigated using an independent sample t-test. The Kolmogorov-Simonov test was used to verify the normality assumption. A P less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The study included 204 individuals (130 males and 74 females) out of 270 ICU patients. Ninety (44.1%) patients were discharged, while 114 (55.9%) died. Overall, 17 (8.3%) patients had neurological complications, while 187 (91%) did not (P=0.005). The two groups did not have significantly different mean age (P=0.325) and sex (P=.793). The ventilation support was significantly different in the two groups (P=0.002). The death group had a higher incidence of loss of consciousness (P=0.003). COVID-19 causes neurological symptoms, especially during the inflammatory phase, and clinicians should be alert for neurological issues.