Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37724460›Full record

ArticleEpidemiology and infection2023

Long-term health outcomes of Q-fever fatigue syndrome patients.

Inge Spronk, Iris M Brus, Annemieke de Groot, Peter Tieleman, Alfons G M Olde Loohuis, Juanita A Haagsma, Suzanne Polinder

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Epidemiology and infection, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Health-related quality of life changes in patients with Q-fever fatigue syndrome: a four-year follow-up study, 10 years post-infection.Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation · 2026
    Observational
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Review
  6. Article
  7. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Inge SpronkDepartment of Public Health, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0001-9571-576X
Iris M BrusDepartment of Public Health, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Annemieke de GrootQ-support, 's-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands.
Peter TielemanQ-support, 's-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands.
Alfons G M Olde LoohuisQ-support, 's-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands.
Juanita A HaagsmaDepartment of Public Health, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Suzanne PolinderDepartment of Public Health, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

This study determined long-term health outcomes (≥10 years) of Q-fever fatigue syndrome (QFS). Long-term complaints, health-related quality of life (HRQL), health status, energy level, fatigue, post-exertional malaise, anxiety, and depression were assessed. Outcomes and determinants were studied for the total sample and compared among age subgroups: young (<40years), middle-aged (≥40-<65years), and older (≥65years) patients. 368 QFS patients were included. Participants reported a median number of 12.0 long-term complaints. Their HRQL (median EQ-5D-5L index: 0.63) and health status (median EQ-VAS: 50.0) were low, their level of fatigue was high, and many experienced post-exertional malaise complaints (98.9%). Young and middle-aged patients reported worse health outcomes compared with older patients, with both groups reporting a significantly worse health status, higher fatigue levels and anxiety, and more post-exertional malaise complaints and middle-aged patients having a lower HRQL and a higher depression risk. Multivariate regression analyses confirmed that older age is associated with better outcomes, except for the number of health complaints. QFS has thus a considerable impact on patients' health more than 10 years after infection. Young and middle-aged patients experience more long-term health consequences compared with older patients. Tailored health care is recommended to provide optimalcare for each QFS patient.

Indexed as

Fatigue Syndrome, ChronicQ FeverAdultAgedFatigueHumansMiddle AgedOutcome Assessment, Health CareQuality of Lifefatiguehealth-related quality of lifelong-term healthmental healthQ-feverQ-fever fatigue syndromezoonosis

Identifiers

PMID37724460
PMCPMC10600735

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.