Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40470055›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in medicine2025

Identifying central symptom clusters and correlates among post-COVID-19 pulmonary fibrosis patients: a network analysis.

Zhen Yang, Zhiqin Xie, Zequan Wang, Linxia Yi, Shihan Chen, Yunyu Du, Xuemei Tao, Chao Xie, Li Zhou, Min Zhang and 1 more

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Article in Frontiers in medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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5 · Who and what money

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11 authors.

Zhen Yang *Department of nursing, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China.
Zhiqin Xie *Jiangxi Medical Center for Critical Public Health Events, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China.
Zequan WangDepartment of nursing, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China.
Linxia YiDepartment of nursing, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China.
Shihan ChenDepartment of nursing, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China.
Yunyu DuDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China.
Xuemei TaoDepartment of nursing, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China.
Chao XieDepartment of nursing, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China.
Li ZhouJiangxi Medical Center for Critical Public Health Events, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China.
Min ZhangJiangxi Medical Center for Critical Public Health Events, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China.
Chaozhu HeSchool of Nursing, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Previous studies have analyzed symptom clusters in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); however, evidence regarding the core symptom clusters and their influencing factors in patients with post-COVID-19 pulmonary fibrosis (PCPF) remains unclear, affecting the precision of symptom interventions. Objectives: This study aimed to identify the symptom clusters and core symptom clusters in patients with PCPF. Demographic and disease-related factors associated with these symptom clusters were also analyzed. Methods: A total of 350 patients with PCPF were recruited from China between January 2023 and April 2024. A self-reported symptom assessment scale was used for this survey. Principal component analysis was used to identify symptom clusters. Network analysis was used to describe the relationships between the symptoms and symptom clusters. Multiple linear models were used to analyze the factors affecting the total symptom severity and each symptom cluster. Results: Six symptom clusters were identified: Upper Respiratory Tract Symptom Cluster (USC), Lower Respiratory Tract Symptom Cluster (LSC), Somatic Symptom Cluster (SSC), Muscular and Joint Symptom Cluster (MSC), Neurological and Psychological Symptom Cluster (NSC), and Digestive Symptom Cluster (DSC). Fatigue was identified as the core and bridge symptom in the symptom network, whereas the upper respiratory symptom cluster was identified as the core and bridge symptom cluster. Gender, age, educational level, smoking history, and primary caregiver were associated with the scores of the six symptom clusters. Conclusion: Our study suggests that there is a need to evaluate symptom clusters for the improvement of symptom management among PCPF. Specifically, the assessment and treatment of upper respiratory and fatigue symptoms as core targets of PCPF care is critical for the development of accurate and efficient symptom management strategies.

Indexed as

COVID-19interstitiallung diseasespulmonary fibrosissocial network analysissyndrome

Identifiers

PMID40470055
PMCPMC12133559

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