Anxiety is more effective than inflammation in subjective memory complaints after discharge

Despite the remission of the acute infection, COVID-19 is associated with clinically significant symptoms (i.e., post-COVID-19 syndrome, anxiety, depression). Cognitive impairment is one of the most common and debilitating symptoms of post-COVID-19 syndrome. Cognitive impairment leads to a significant decrease in the patient's quality of life. It has been suggested that inflammatory markers may play a role in this cognitive impairment. Inflammation and loss of cognitive ability have long been a topic of interest. Studies conducted in intensive care units have shown a link between increased acute phase reactants and delirium and long-term cognitive impairment. Covid-19 causes hypercoagulation and acute respiratory distress syndrome due to hyperinflammatory immune response, also known as cytokine storm, especially in patients in need of intensive care. For this reason, it also creates a suitable environment for analyzing the relationship between cognitive impairment and inflammation. Anxiety is one of the common residual symptoms in intensive care unit hospitalizations due to Covid-19. Anxiety is also known to impair cognitive processes secondarily. We analyzed the subjective memory complaints of patients one month after leaving the intensive care unit and the important variables associated with them. Patients and methods 196 patients were included in the study (mean age = 52 ± 10.5). 61 of them were female (% 30.5). Patients were interviewed by telephone one month after discharge. Sociodemographic form, Beck anxiety inventory and subjective memory complaints test were administered. During hospitalization, inflammatory markers (maximum level of D-dimer, ferritin, fibrinogen CRP, laktat) were recorded. Results The mean total length of hospitalization was 8.6 ± 10,5. 52% had a high school education or less. 91% were admitted from the ward to intensive care. 97% needed a nasal flow mask, 63% needed a nasal high flow mask and only 4% needed intubation. 45% of the patients entered delirium during the hospitalization process. The mean Beck anxiety score was 14 ± 5 and the mean subjective memory was 3.4 ± 1,1. 11% had psychiatric admission before the disease. 4% had psychiatric admission after the disease. Subjective memory complaints and anxiety scores were positively correlated. (Table 1). In the group with subjective memory complaints, unemployed (p = 0.41) psychiatry referral before the disease (p0.01) is more common. No correlation was found between the inflammatory marker and subjective cognitive complaint (Table 1) Conclusion While evaluating the patient's cognitive skills after intensive care, it is valuable to evaluate the patient's anxiety in order to understand the process. Anxiety seems to be more effective on cognitive complaints than inflammation.