Investigating the relationship between pulmonary function tests and respiratory muscle strength in COVID-19 survivors.

Document Type : Original Article(s)

Authors

1 Associate Professor, Community-Oriented Nursing Midwifery Research Center, Department of Adult and Geriatric Nursing, Nursing and Midwifery School, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran

2 Student Research Committee, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran

3 Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran

4 PhD Student in Health Disasters and Emergencies, Yazd Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran

10.48305/jims.v43.i838.1474

Abstract

Background: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between pulmonary function tests and respiratory muscle strength in COVID-19 survivors.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 52 individuals aged 20-60 who had recovered from COVID-19 to evaluate their pulmonary function and respiratory muscle strength. Samples were selected using a simple method. Lung volume was measured using PEmax (maximum expiratory pressure). Data were analyzed using descriptive analytic tests.
Findings: In this study, 52 patients with COVID were studied. The results showed that of the 52 subjects, 63.5% were female and 36.5% were male. The mean age of the subjects was 48.32 ± 1.41 years and their mean BMI was 28.80 ± 4.31 kg/m². The FEV1/FVC ratio had a minimum of 63.90%, a maximum of 76.20%, and a mean of 68.58 ± 2.34%.
Conclusion: The findings indicated a significant relationship between age and body mass index (BMI) with the FEV1/FVC ratio and PEmax index; that is, with an increase in BMI, the FEV1/FVC ratio and PEmax index decreased significantly. Moreover, the results revealed a positive correlation between the FEV1/FVC ratio and the PEmax index. Study results indicate that the FEV1/FVC ratio usually decreases with age. However, this study demonstrated that in specific cases, such as in newly recovered patients with less severe lung involvement, improved air expulsion capacity may lead to an increase in this ratio. This research highlights the need for continuous follow-up and assessment of pulmonary function in patients with COVID-19 to effectively prevent the long-term complications of the disease.

Highlights

Fatemeh Aliakbari: PubMed, Google Scholar

Ahmad Fatahi Vanani: Google Scholar

Akbar Soleymani: Google Scholar

Rezvan Yazdani: Google Scholar

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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Journal of Isfahan Medical School
Volume 43, Issue 838
2nd Week, January
January and February 2026
Pages 1474-1479

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History

  • Receive Date: 12 February 2025
  • Accept Date: 27 January 2026

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