Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected healthcare, particularly surgical care. Although short-term effects on surgical outcomes have been examined, understanding of long-term postoperative prognosis and pain management in COVID-19 patients remains limited. This knowledge gap is critical as the pandemic evolves and the need for optimized postoperative care becomes increasingly important. OBJECTIVE: The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 infection on postoperative outcomes and pain management in surgical patients. We aimed to assess surgical mortality, complication rates, and postoperative pain levels in COVID-19-positive patients relative to a closely matched control group. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of COVID-19 patients admitted to the ICU following surgery. Data were collected on baseline characteristics, postoperative complications, mortality and pain scores. Univariate and multivariate linear regression models were used to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 infection on postoperative pain. Stratified and interaction analyses were additionally performed to examine the robustness of these associations across subgroups. RESULTS: Mortality rates and the incidence of sepsis were significantly higher in the COVID-19 cohort. Patients with COVID-19 also experienced longer duration of mechanical ventilation in the ICU and prolonged ICU stays. In the fully adjusted multivariate linear regression model, COVID-19 infection was positively associated with higher postoperative visual analog scale pain scores (β = 1.51; 95% CI: 1.03-1.98; p < 0.001), corresponding to an average increase of 1.51 units in postoperative pain. Stratified analysis largely corroborated these findings across subgroups. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical intervention in patients with COVID-19 was associated with higher mortality and sepsis rates, longer ICU stays, and increased postoperative pain scores. These findings highlight the need for continued research to optimize surgical care and improve patient outcomes in the evolving post-pandemic era.
Source: PLoS ONE
Language: English
Subfield: Oncology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,382
Funders: Innovative Research Group Project of the National Natural Science Foundation of China, Health Commission of Hunan Province, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Hunan University, Natural Science Foundation of Hunan Province, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Health Medical Collaborative Innovation Program of Guangzhou, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Fujian Provincial Health Technology Project
OpenAlex ID: W7134263031