Background: The novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, can lead to potential neurological complications in COVID-19 patients. This study aims to assess the prevalence and associated risk factors of these complications among Thai individuals.
Methods: We conducted a retrospective study on hospitalized adults with COVID-19 at Thammasat University Hospital from April 2020 to September 2021, totaling 990 patients. We used propensity score matching and logistic regression to determine associated risk factors.
Results: Of the patients, 21.7% (215 individuals) manifested neurological complications, categorized as follows: Skeletal muscle injury: 16.3% Acute cerebrovascular disease: 0.8% Delirium: 2.4% Impaired consciousness: 2.6% Seizures: 0.5% Post-matching revealed risk factors significantly associated with neurological complications: overweight status, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, and severe infection. However, in a multivariable analysis, only severe infection remained significant (adjusted OR 3.71; p = 0.010). The presence of neurological complications was linked with an elevated mortality risk (OR 1.77, p = 0.005).
Conclusions: In the Thai COVID-19 patient cohort, roughly 22% experienced neurological complications, with severe infection standing out as a major risk factor. This underscores the importance of closely monitoring neurological symptoms in COVID-19 patients.
Keywords: COVID-19; Neurological complications; Neurological manifestations; Risk factors.
© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland.