Repercussões mentais e físicas em idosos após internação na Unidade de terapia intensiva por COVID-19

Abstract

The Covid-19 virus is highly contagious and easily penetrates the airways, initially attacking the lungs and spreading to other organs, with a high potential to cause damage and death. Common symptoms include headaches, sore throats, flu-like symptoms, fever, cough, fatigue, dyspnea, tiredness, loss of taste, nasal congestion, nasal discharge, nausea and vomiting, and digestive problems such as diarrhea. Furthermore, it has the potential to cross the blood-brain barrier, leading to neural disturbances that can persist for days, weeks, months, or even longer, resulting in various problems such as depression, anxiety, forgetfulness, and insomnia. The elderly are the most affected due to immunodeficiency and chronic conditions. The objective of this study was to understand the perception of elderly individuals admitted to the Intensive Care Unit due to Covid-19 infection regarding the mental and physical repercussions after infection. Methodology: This is an exploratory, descriptive, and field study with a qualitative approach, conducted with elderly individuals who were admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of a university hospital located in the western region of Paraná. Data was retrieved from the electronic medical records of elderly individuals diagnosed with and admitted to the Intensive Care Unit due to Covid-19. Semi- structured interviews were conducted, recorded with an MP3 player, validated by the participants, transcribed, and analyzed using Bardin's method. Results: The study included 11 participants aged between 64 and 80 years. The findings indicated that the majority of the elderly were female (54.54%), aged between 70 and 80 years (63.64%), white (54.55%), married (45.45%), with completed primary education (90.90%), retired, and with an income equivalent to one minimum wage (90.90%). All participants reported some type of impairment resulting from Covid-19, with varying impacts, some presenting more pronounced consequences in the mental sphere, while others had more significant repercussions in the physical aspect. Final considerations: The study evidenced psychological, emotional and physical changes caused by Covid-19. Therefore, it is imperative to direct specialized attention to this population to mitigate the long-term consequences.