Medical Rehabilitation of Elderly and Senior Patients with COVID-19-Associated Pneumonia

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of including remaxol in the medical rehabilitation of elderly and senior patients with COVID-19-associated pneumonia and changes in liver enzyme activity.

Material and methods: 116 patients (56 men and 60 women) were examined. All patients underwent a complex of medical rehabilitation on an outpatient basis on the 10–12th day after discharge from the hospital and in the presence of 2 negative results of PCR tests for SARS-CoV-2, which included, in addition to the recommended measures (drug therapy and exercise therapy), vacuum labile massage according to the author's methodology and a course of hepatoprotective drugs. Depending on the latter, the patients were divided into two groups: I — the main group (n=60) — received remaxol in the drug treatment regimen: 400 ml, intravenously, drip, in a course of 10 days, II – comparison (n=56) — ademetionine: 400 ml, intravenously, drip, in 0.9% saline, in a course 10 days. Before rehabilitation and at its end, the following tests were carried out: Stange and Genchi tests; quality of life was assessed using the SF-36 questionnaire. Laboratory studies included determination of the following indicators levels: ALT, AST, their ratio, alkaline phosphatase, GGT, total and direct bilirubin, LDH, albumin and total protein levels.

Results. The inclusion of hepatoprotectors in the medical rehabilitation of the patients of this group contributes to a decrease in cytolytic and cholestatic syndromes, which is more pronounced in patients who received remaxol: (a decrease in AST by 1.5 times (from 35.4±1.4 to 23.5±l), and ALT — by 1.8 times (from 38.7±1.3 to 21.5±0.4 IU/l), as well as normalization of bilirubin metabolism: a decrease of total bilirubin by 2.1 times (from 32.1± 0.6 to 14.8±0.9 µmol/l) and of direct — by 2.5 times (from 7.1±0.6 to 2.8±0.1 µmol/l). A pronounced increase in resistance to hypoxia was noted during the therapy with the drug (according to Stange and Genche), which contributed to an improvement in psychophysiological indicators of patients’ quality of life (according to the SF-36 questionnaire). The obtained results, along with the safety of the drug, allow us to recommend its use in patients with this pathology.

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