en پزشکی عمومى General medicine تحقیقی Original article <div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><b>Background:</b> Severe coronavirus infections may lead to long-term effects, such as persistent lung dysfunction and residual involvement. This study aimed to evaluate pulmonary function tests (PFT) and chest computed tomography (CT) scans of severe COVID-19 intensive care unit (ICU) survivors one year after discharge.<br> <b>Methods:</b> A cohort study was conducted, assessing spirometry and chest CT scans in patients with severe COVID-19 admitted to the ICU. Patients with pre-existing lung disease were excluded. Initial laboratory tests, clinical information, and medication (antivirals and corticosteroids) were reported in patients with and without fibrosis on chest CTs.<br> <b>Results:</b> Thirty patients (57% female) with a mean (SD) age of 50 (13.5) years were included. Initial pulmonary involvement had a mean score of 16 (&plusmn;4), with ground-glass opacification (GGO) observed in all patients, consolidation in 88%, and pneumomediastinum in 10% of patients. One-year chest CT scans revealed mild fibrotic changes in 70% of patients, presenting as a fibrotic band (47%) or a fibrotic band with GGO (23%). Patients with fibrosis had lower serum albumin levels, lower platelet counts, and were older. One-year follow-up spirometry showed that 73% had normal results, 20% had mild obstruction, and 7% exhibited a hyperreactive airway pattern. Spirometry parameters did not significantly differ between the fibrosis and non-fibrosis groups.<br> <b>Conclusion</b>: Most patients who survived severe COVID-19 infection showed significant improvement in one-year follow-up chest CT scans, and their PFT was not severely impaired. Importantly, our findings indicate no association between the severity of initial lung involvement, medication use, and follow-up chest CT results. </span></span></div> COVID-19, Intensive Care Units, Pulmonary fibrosis, X-Ray CT Scan 5 9 http://goums.ac.ir/jorjanijournal/browse.php?a_code=A-10-983-1&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Mahmoud Khandashpour khandashpour2027@gmail.com 100319475328460010609 100319475328460010609 No Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran ; Clinical Research Development Unit (CRDU), Sayad Shirazi Hospital, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran Mahtab Rakhshaie mahtab.rakhshaeii.mahtab@gmail.com 100319475328460010610 0009-0007-1564-8781 No Clinical Research Development Unit (CRDU), Sayad Shirazi Hospital, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran Rahmatollah Sharififar Dr97sharififar@gmail.com 100319475328460010611 0009-0008-7118-4026 No Department of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran Somayeh Livani Dr_slivani@yahoo.com 100319475328460010612 100319475328460010612 No Clinical Research Development Unit (CRDU), Sayad Shirazi Hospital, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran; Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran Nafiseh Abdollahi n_abdolahi2002@yahoo.com 100319475328460010613 100319475328460010613 No Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran; Golestan Rheumatology Research Center, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran Mahdi Soleimannejad Soleimannejad_mahdi@gmail.com 100319475328460010614 0009-0004-3678-8079 No Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran Fahimeh Abdollahi fahimehabdollahi@gmail.com 100319475328460010615 100319475328460010615 No Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran mahila monajati mahilamonajati@gmail.com 100319475328460010616 100319475328460010616 Yes Golestan Rheumatology Research Center, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran