559 - Neuropsychiatric symptomatology after severe COVID-19 in older survivors

Background:The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has rapidly spread worldwide, leading to increased concerns about long-term patients’ neuropsychiatric morbidity. Currently, there is still few data regarding mental health after hospital discharge of severe COVID-19 elderly patients. Considering this, the present study aims to characterize the neuropsychiatric morbidity in old severe COVID-19 patients.Methods:In the context of an ongoing multidisciplinary research project, this study analyzed a subsample of patients aged ≥60 years, admitted due to COVID-19, during the first wave, in the Intensive Care Medicine Department (ICMD) of a University Hospital in Porto, Portugal. ICMD length of stay (LoS) ≤24h, terminal illness, major auditory loss or inability to communicate at the time of follow- up were used as exclusion criteria. Participants were evaluated by telephone in average 99 (±32) days after being discharged from the hospital, with Six-item Cognitive Impairment Test, PatientHealth Questionnaire and Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale. Sociodemographic and relevant clinicaldata were obtained from hospital electronic records and clinical interview.Results:A sample of 39 survivors with a mean age of 70 (±6.3) years old were assessed. The majority were male (62%), married (64%), retired (77%), with low educational level (59%), and 15% lived alone. The average number of comorbidities and the daily medications per patient were 4.7 (±1.7) and 5.5 (±3.5), respectively.During ICMD stay, 69% had nosocomial infections and 56% delirium. Deep sedation was used in 74% of the patients (mean=30 days) and 74% needed Invasive Mechanical Ventilation. ICMD mean LoS was33 (±28.3) days. Based on follow-up assessment, 18% of survivors had cognitive impairment, whereas23% and 15% had depressive and anxiety symptoms, respectively. A positive and high correlation between depression and anxiety was found (rs=0.792; p