Elektrofizyoloji laboratuvarımızın pandemi deneyimi

Objectives: Although the main symptoms of COVID-19 disease, which has caused serious effects worldwide, are fever and respiratory system findings, neurological involvement is common. Our study aimed to evaluate electromyography (EMG) and nerve conduction study (NCS) findings among COVID-19 patients, especially those with long-term hospitalizations, in whom neuromuscular symptoms were frequently reported, and to investigate the correlations between clinical diagnosis and electroneurophy-siological diagnosis.Methods: This is a hospital-based retrospective observational study. Patients who were diagnosed with COVID-19 disease between March 2020 and March 2022 and sent to the electroneurophysiology labora-tory with neurological complaints and underwent nerve conduction study and EMG were included.Results: Of the 60 patients, 26 were male and 34 were female. The mean age of the patients was 51.81±15.51 years. The mean time between COVID-19 diagnosis and EMG examination was 75.7±63.5 (15-240) days. Intensive care unit stay and mechanical ventilation requirement (3-36 days) were obser-ved in 15 patients (% 25). In 25 patients (% 41), preliminary diagnosis and EMG results were found to be compatible. Results of 25 patients were normal, 13 patients had sensory motor axonal polyneuro-pathy, 3 patients had acute polyneuropathy, 4 patients had myopathy, 3 patients had radiculopathy, 1 patient had inflammatory myopathy, 1 patient had newly diagnosed myasthenia gravis, and 10 patients had entrapment neuropathy findings.Conclusion: Neurological involvement was shown in 1/3 of COVID-19 patients. Abnormalities were detected in EMG findings in 45 of 60 patients who were hospitalized due to COVID-19 and whose EMG tests were requested from our laboratory. However, critical illness neuropathy and myopathy were the most frequently reported in patients who required mechanical ventilation.