Possibilities of improving the effectiveness of therapy in patients with chronic cerebral ischemia against the background of COVID-19

Author:
V.V. KOVALCHUK, I.I. ERSHOVA, N.V. MOLODOVSKAYA
Semashko City Hospital No. 38, St. Petersburg, Russia

Summary:
Objective. To study the possibility of improving the efficacy of treatment with mexidol in COVID‑19 patients with chronic cerebral ischemia (CCI). Material and methods. Three hundred and four patients with CCI and COVID‑19 were observed, group 1 (n=152) consisted of patients receiving basic therapy and mexidol, group 2 (n=152) received only basic therapy. Mexidol was administered intravenously for 14 days, 500 mg (10 ml) per 400 ml of saline solution, then Mexidol FORTE 250 was administered in a dose of 250 mg 3 times a day for 2 months. The state of cognitive functions (MoCA scale), sleep (Spiegel questionnaire), asthenia (MFI-20 scale), and quality of life (SIP questionnaire) were evaluated. Examinations were performed before treatment, 30 and 75 days after start of treatment. Results. In group 1, there was a more complete and earlier recovery of the state of cognitive functions (an increase in indicators on the MoCA scale, p<0.01), a regression of asthenia (p<0.05), and normalization of sleep (p<0.01). By the end of the study, there were significantly more patients in group 1 with complete or significant recovery of all quality of life indicators. Conclusion. Long-term sequential therapy with mexidol provides a more complete recovery of impaired functions in patients with CCI and COVID-19. Keywords: COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, chronic cerebral ischemia, asthenia, cognitive disorders, dementia, quality of life, mexidol.