Long-lasting dyspeptic symptoms - another consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic?

Introduction: It is known that the virus SARS-CoV-2 can attack the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and induce gastroenteritis. This can trigger a wide variety of disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBIs) or functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs), including post-infectious dyspepsia, which remains underestimated.

Aim: To estimate the prevalence of dyspeptic symptoms following COVID-19, immediately after discharge and 3, 6, and 9 months after hospitalization.

Material and methods: A prospective, single-centre evaluation of questions regarding functional dyspepsia (FD) as assessed by the Gastroduodenal Module of ROME IV Diagnostic Questionnaire for Adult FGIDs among 320 patients who had had COVID-19.

Results: The FD ROME IV criteria were met at the respective time-points by 0.0% (0), 4.8% (12), 3.2% (8), and 3.2% (8) of cases. However, the presence of GI symptoms that suggested FD but did not meet the timeframe ROME IV criteria for FD were found in 9.6% (24), 23.5% (59), 20.7% (52), and 20.7% (52) of cases, respectively.

Conclusions: The presence and persistence of gastrointestinal dyspeptic symptoms following COVID-19 is a significant problem. The timeframe of the Rome IV criteria may underestimate the number of patients with persistent dyspeptic symptoms following COVID-19 disease.