INTRODUCTION: The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has defined the terms, 'acute coronavirus disease 2019' (COVID-19), 'ongoing symptomatic COVID-19' and 'post-COVID-19 syndrome', with the latter two described as having persistent symptoms after the onset of COVID-19 symptoms for 4-12 weeks and >12 weeks, respectively. Persistent symptoms can either be due to the after-effects of COVID-19 or new-onset diseases after acute COVID-19. All symptoms observed beyond 4 weeks after the onset of COVID-19 need not be present at the time of onset. Previous studies on persistent post-COVID-19 symptoms have not mentioned new-onset diseases after acute COVID-19, and only a select few studies have discussed such new-onset symptoms. METHODS: Ninety-five patients who attended the post-COVID-19 clinic completed the requisite follow-up till 16 weeks after COVID-19 symptom onset. Data was recorded on a predesigned proforma. Necessary investigations were conducted to rule out any other cause of persistent symptoms. RESULTS: Fatigue (62.1%), breathlessness (50.5%) and cough (27.4%) were the most common symptoms present beyond 4 weeks after the onset of COVID-19 symptoms. Forty-nine (51.57%) patients developed post-COVID-19 syndrome - their severity of symptoms (odds ratio [OR] 17.77) and longer duration of hospital stay (OR 1.095) during acute disease were significantly associated with the development of post-COVID-19 syndrome. During follow-up, 25 patients developed new-onset symptoms, such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension and idiopathic tachycardia. CONCLUSION Patients can have persistent symptoms, new-onset symptoms and new-onset diseases after recovery from acute COVID-19.
Humans ; COVID-19/diagnosis* ; Female ; Male ; Prospective Studies ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Fatigue/etiology* ; Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Aged ; Cough/etiology* ; Dyspnea/etiology*

Meige syndrome is a focal dystonic movement disorder characterized by blepharospasm and oromandibular dystonia. It is a very rare disease. Individuals affected by Meige syndrome usually experience a wide array of complex symptoms including involuntary blinking and spasms of the jaw muscle. Dyspnea is rarely mentioned, due to dystonic spasm affecting the respiratory muscles. We report a case of a 69-year-old man with Meige syndrome, with dyspnea as the main clinical manifestation. Management often involves medications, botulinum toxin injections, and surgery to alleviate symptoms and enhance function. Now we reviewed the relevant literatures and summarized the experience of diagnosis and treatment in Meige syndrome.
Humans ; Male ; Aged ; Dyspnea/etiology* ; Meige Syndrome/diagnosis*

BACKGROUND: Over 65 million people have long COVID. Evidence for using Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) to treat long COVID is growing. A systematic review of evidence for guiding clinical decision is warranted. OBJECTIVE: To examine the effects and safety of CHM in alleviating the severity of dyspnea, fatigue, exercise intolerance, depression, anxiety and insomnia in long COVID adults based on registered randomized clinical trials (RCT). SEARCH STRATEGY: World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform and Chinese Clinical Trial Registry were searched for registered trial protocols from database inception to February 10, 2023. English (PubMed, Embase, AMED and CINAHL) and Chinese databases (CNKI, Wanfang Data and CQVIP) were then searched to identify relevant publications from December 2019 through April 6, 2023. INCLUSION CRITERIA: Registered RCTs that compared the effects of Chinese herbal medicines or Chinese herbal formulas against a control treatment (i.e., the placebo or usual care) in adults with persistent symptoms of long COVID. The primary outcome of dyspnea, and secondary outcomes of fatigue, exercise intolerance, depression, anxiety and insomnia were measured using validated tools at the end of the treatment. DATA EXTRACTION AND ANALYSIS: Data were extracted, and eligible RCTs were evaluated using version 2 of the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomized trials and Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations independently by two researchers. Effect sizes were estimated by random-effects modelling and mean difference (MD). Heterogeneity between trials was quantified by I². RESULTS: Among the 38 registered clinical trials we identified, seven RCTs (1,519 patients) were included in the systematic review. One RCT had a low overall risk of bias. Compared to the control, CHM reduces dyspnea on the Borg Dyspnea Scale score (MD = -0.2, 95% confidence interval [CI] = -0.65 to 0.25) with moderate certainty, and reduces fatigue on the Borg Scale (MD = -0.48, 95% CI = -0.74 to -0.22) with low certainty. CHM clinically reduces depression on Hamilton Depression Rating Scale score (MD = -6.00, 95% CI = -7.56 to -4.44) and anxiety on Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale score (MD = -6.10, 95% CI = -7.67 to -4.53), and reduces insomnia on the Insomnia Severity Index (MD = -4.86, 95% CI = -12.50 to 2.79) with moderate certainty. Meta-analysis of two RCTs (517 patients) showed that CHM clinically improves exercise intolerance by increasing 6-minute walking distance (MD = -15.92, 95% CI = -10.20 to 42.05) with substantial heterogeneity (I² = 68%) and low certainty. CONCLUSION CHM is associated with a post-treatment clinical reduction in depression and anxiety in long COVID adults, compared to the control, but it does not have a strong treatment effect on dyspnea and insomnia. Effects of CHM on exercise intolerance and fatigue are uncertain, and the safety of using CHM remains questionable. Please cite this article as: Tsang MS, Zhou IW, Zhang AL, Xue CC. Chinese herbal medicine for dyspnea and persistent symptoms of long COVID: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(2): 126-137.
Humans ; Dyspnea/etiology* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; COVID-19/complications* ; Fatigue/drug therapy* ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Anxiety/drug therapy* ; Depression/drug therapy* ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders/drug therapy* ; Betacoronavirus

OBJECTIVE: This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the BLUE (Bedside lung ultrasound in emergency) protocol compared to clinicoradiologic diagnosis for promptly identifying acute undifferentiated dyspnea in pediatric patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Conducted at the emergency room of the Philippine Children's Medical Center from August 2022 to May 2023, the study involved performing the BLUE protocol within 2 hours of patient arrival. Chest radiography was also conducted, with images independently interpreted by a pediatric pulmonologist, emergency medicine specialist, and radiologist. The results were then compared to the clinicoradiologic findings. RESULTS: A total of 111 participants were included, with the majority being male (55.4%) and under 1 year old (48.2%). Pneumonia was the most observed diagnosis (88.2%), followed by asthma (7.2%). Utilizing the BLUE protocol, pneumonia was identified as the most prevalent diagnosis (81%), followed by pleural effusion (12.6%) and asthma (6%). The pulmonologist, emergency medicine specialist, and radiologist exhibited high sensitivity in diagnosing pneumonia (91.01%, 89.89%, 96.77% respectively) but low specificity (26%, 21%, 57.89%). Diagnosing pleural effusion and/or congestion showed high sensitivity (89%) and low specificity (21%) based on the pulmonologist's reading, low sensitivity (37%) and high specificity (99%) based on the emergency medicine specialist's reading, and 100% specificity based on the radiologist's reading. All readers demonstrated high specificity (95%, 93%, 93%) and low sensitivity (50%, 71%, 71%) in diagnosing asthma. The ultrasound readings between the readers exhibited a high concordance rate of 98%. CONCLUSION The study findings show that the BLUE protocol has high sensitivity in diagnosing pneumonia and high specificity in diagnosing asthma. The high concordance rate among readers suggests consistent ultrasound findings. These results support the practical application of the BLUE protocol for promptly diagnosing acute undifferentiated dyspnea in pediatric patients within the emergency department.
Dyspnea

Background: Dyspnea also referred to as shortness of breath or breathlessness is defined as “a subjective experience of breathing discomfort that consists of qualitatively distinct sensations that vary in intensity.” Dyspnea is a symptom of the disease, rather than a disease itself. Its etiology can be designated as arising from four primary categories: respiratory, cardiac, neuromuscular, psychogenic, systemic illness, or a combination of these. Objective: The general objective in developing this guideline is to improve the quality and outcomes of care to adult patients with dyspnea or shortness of breath in primary care and outpatient setting. Methods The ADAPTE process was utilized in the development of the initial guideline recommendations where the following steps were followed: 1) definition of clinical questions, 2) searching, screening and appraisal of guidelines, 3) decision and selection of evidence and 4) iterative drafting of guideline recommendation was done. The retrieved guidelines were systematically evaluated for their quality and validity using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research & Evaluation (AGREE) II Instrument, which is a tool developed to assess the methodological quality of practice guidelines. If the adopted guideline did not have recommendations for our clinical question, we developed the recommendations de novo using the GRADE approach. We prioritized retrieving systematic reviews and meta-analysis articles that are relevant to our clinical questions. In the development of recommendations, the guideline development team prioritized the interventions that address the following outcomes i.e., decrease in severity of dyspnea, resolution of dyspnea, improved quality of life and decrease mortality. Data from the articles were extracted and the evidence was then summarized and appraised based on the type of study. The recommendations were then developed by the team as the initial draft that was subjected to external review and consensus panel discussion for finalization.
Outpatients ; Dyspnea ; Primary Health Care

INTRODUCTION: Countries are mandating the use of face masks to stem the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Face mask use has been associated with discomfort due to its effects on thermoregulation, breathing and oxygenation. We evaluated the prevalence and severity of self-reported cardiovascular symptoms before and during face mask use. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study of 1,001 participants residing in Singapore, who participated in a self-administered questionnaire between 25 April 2020 and 4 May 2020. Symptom severity before and during mask use, and health-seeking behaviour information were collected. The study outcome was self-reported worsening of cardiovascular symptoms and its association with the type of mask worn, duration of mask worn per day, and intensity of physical activities during mask use. RESULTS: The most common symptom reported during mask use was dyspnoea. Independent predictors for self-reported cardiovascular symptoms during mask use were moderate-high physical activity during mask use (odds ratio [OR] 1.634, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.176-2.270, P = 0.003), duration of mask use for ≥3 h (OR 1.672, 95% CI 1.189-2.352, P = 0.003) and type of mask used, after adjusting for age, sex, healthcare-based worker status and presence of comorbidities. N95 mask was associated with worse symptoms when compared to surgical mask. Participants with ≥3 worsening symptoms or worsening dyspnoea, palpitations, fatigue and dizziness were more likely to seek medical help. CONCLUSION Face mask use has been proven to be an effective way in curbing COVID-19 transmission. However, participants in this study had concerns regarding its use and these concerns should be urgently addressed to enable mask use policies to be enacted.
Humans ; COVID-19/epidemiology* ; Pandemics ; Masks/adverse effects* ; Self Report ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Dyspnea/etiology*

Objective: To investigate the chronic respiratory symptoms and pulmonary function of adult residents in 3 towns of Hongtong County, Shanxi Province, and to explore their risk factors. Methods: The investigation of chronic respiratory symptoms and lung function status of adult residents in Hongdong County is based on the regional population of the entire county in Hongdong County. The project was initiated by the Science and Technology Department of Linfen City and coordinated by the Hongdong County Government. The investigation will be conducted in 3 townships in Hongdong County, Linfen City, Shanxi Province from April to November 2021: Demographic characteristics, respiratory symptoms, smoking dust exposure and other personal history were collected through questionnaires. Physical examination, routine blood tests and lung function tests were also performed on each individual. SPSS 22.0 software was used to conduct t test, χ² test, ANOVA or Kruskal-Wallis test for statistical analysis of the collected information. Results: 10 945 subjects aged 18-102 years were included in the analysis, of whom 3 754 (34.3%) were male, 1 222 (11.2%) had a history of dust exposure, 7 164 (65.5%) had used straw and firewood as cooking fuel, and 3 296 (30.1%) had a history of smoking. Among the participants, 394 (3.6%), 339 (3.1%), and 1 543 (14.1%) had respiratory symptoms such as chronic cough, sputum, and dyspnea. Statistics showed that the population with chronic respiratory symptoms was more elderly and had a smoking history, and the incidence of chronic respiratory symptoms was higher in those who smoked more than 40 packs a year (all P<0.05). Men with a history of dust exposure were more likely to suffer from chronic cough and expectoration, while emaciation and biofuel use for more than 40 years were more likely to suffer from chronic expectoration and dyspnea (all P<0.05). The median values of forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC) and FEV1/FVC in 1 second were 2.19 L/s, 3.24 L and 69.16%, respectively. Among them, the lung function of 5 801 (53.0%) respondents was lower than the expected value. The median FEV1/FVC decreased with the increase of age. The FEV1/FVC of people over 40 years old with smoking history was lower, the dust exposure history of people with decreased lung function was more than that of people with normal lung function, and the incidence of chronic expectoration and dyspnea was higher in people with decreased lung function (all P<0.05). The absolute value and ratio of eosinophils in patients with decreased ventilation function over 60 years old were significantly higher than those with normal ventilation function, but the level of body mass index (BMI) was lower (all P<0.05). Conclusion: In Hongdong County, Shanxi Province, grassroots residents have poor medical awareness, low lung function examination rate, chronic respiratory symptoms and lung function decline are associated with more risk factors. Primary medical institutions need to formulate prevention strategies and carry out lung function detection according to the actual situation, focusing on monitoring and follow-up of high-risk groups to achieve early and timely prevention, diagnosis and treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Aged ; Adult ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Female ; Cough/epidemiology* ; Lung ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/epidemiology* ; Chronic Disease ; Lung Diseases ; Vital Capacity ; Dyspnea ; Dust/analysis* ; Forced Expiratory Volume

The three-day-old female infant was admitted to the hospital due to respiratory distress after birth. She was born premature at 36⁺² weeks gestational age. Prenatal ultrasound suggested abnormal development of the fetal liver vessels, and she had dyspnea that required respiratory support after birth. Chest X-ray indicated an enlarged cardiac silhouette, and cardiac ultrasound revealed enlargement of the right atrium and right ventricle. Diagnosis of hepatic hemangioma with arteriovenous fistula was confirmed through liver ultrasound and abdominal enhanced CT. At 19 days old, she underwent ligation of the hepatic artery under general anesthesia, which led to an improvement in cardiac function and she was subsequently discharged. Genetic testing revealed a mutation in the ACVRL1 gene, which was inherited from the mother. The article primarily introduces a case of neonatal heart failure caused by hepatic hemangioma with arteriovenous fistula, and multi-disciplinary diagnosis and treatment of this disease.
Female ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Pregnancy ; Activin Receptors, Type II ; Arteriovenous Fistula/complications* ; Dyspnea ; Heart Failure/etiology* ; Hemangioma/complications* ; Liver

The male patient was referred to the hospital at 44 days old due to dyspnea after birth and inability to wean off oxygen. His brother died three days after birth due to respiratory failure. The main symptoms observed were respiratory failure, dyspnea, and hypoxemia. A chest CT scan revealed characteristic reduced opacity in both lungs with a "crazy-paving" appearance. The bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) showed periodic acid-Schiff positive proteinaceous deposits. Genetic testing indicated a compound heterozygous mutation in the ABCA3 gene. The diagnosis for the infant was congenital pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP). Congenital PAP is a significant cause of challenging-to-treat respiratory failure in full-term infants. Therefore, congenital PAP should be considered in infants experiencing persistently difficult-to-treat dyspnea shortly after birth. Early utilization of chest CT scans, BALF pathological examination, and genetic testing may aid in early diagnosis.
Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Humans ; Male ; Bronchoalveolar Lavage/adverse effects* ; Pulmonary Alveolar Proteinosis/pathology* ; Dyspnea/etiology* ; Respiratory Insufficiency

Objective:To analyze the clinical data of laryngeal airway diseases in infants and provide reference for the standardized diagnosis and treatment of the disease. Methods:From June 2022 to August 2023, analyze the clinical data of 4 cases of children with laryngeal airway diseases recently admitted to Department of Otolaryngology, Fuzhou Children's Hospital of Fujian Province, and summarize the experience and lessons of diagnosis and treatment by consulting relevant literature. Results:Three cases had symptoms such as laryngeal wheezing, dyspnea, backward growth and development, etc. After electronic laryngoscopy, the first case was diagnosed with laryngeal softening （severe, type Ⅱ）, and the angular incision was performed. While cases 2, 3 diagnosed with case 2 and 3 were diagnosed with laryngeal cyst and underwent laryngeal cyst resection. All three cases underwent low-temperature plasma surgery under visual laryngoscope, and the symptoms were relieved after operation. Case 4 was laryngeal wheezing and dyspnea after extubation under general anesthesia. The electronic laryngoscopy showeded early stage of globetic stenosis, and endoscopic pseudomembrane clamping was performed, and the postoperative symptoms were relieved. Conclusion:Infants and young children with laryngeal airway diseases should pay attention to the early symptoms and be diagnosed by electronic laryngoscopy as soon as possible. With good curative effect and few complications, low-temperature plasma surgery under visual laryngoscope is recommended. The formation of pseudomembrane under the gluteal caused by tracheal intubation causes rapid onset and rapid development. The pseudomembrane extraction by clamping is convenient and fast, with good curative effect.
Infant ; Child ; Humans ; Child, Preschool ; Respiratory Sounds/etiology* ; Larynx ; Laryngeal Diseases/surgery* ; Laryngoscopy ; Intubation, Intratracheal/adverse effects* ; Dyspnea/surgery* ; Cysts/surgery*