Martin-Loeches, IgnacioMotos, AnnaMenéndez, RosarioGabarrús, AlbertGonzález, JessicaFernández-Barat, LaiaCeccato, AdriánPérez-Arnal, RaquelGarcía-Gasulla, DarioFerrer, RicardRiera, JordiLorente, José ÁngelPeñuelas, ÓscarBermejo-Martin, Jesús Fde Gonzalo-Calvo, DavidRodríguez, AlejandroBarbé, FerranAguilera, LucianoAmaya-Villar, RosarioBarberà, CarmeBarberán, JoséBlandino Ortiz, AaronBustamante-Munguira, ElenaCaballero, JesúsCarbajales, CristinaCarbonell, NievesCatalán-González, MercedesGalbán, CristóbalGumucio-Sanguino, Víctor Dde la Torre, Maria Del CarmenDíaz, EmiliGallego, ElenaGarcía Garmendia, José LuisGarnacho-Montero, JoséGómez, José MJorge García, Ruth NoemíLoza-Vázquez, AnaMarín-Corral, JudithMartínez de la Gándara, AmaliaMartínez Varela, IgnacioLopez Messa, JuanAlbaiceta, Guillermo MNovo, Mariana AndreaPeñasco, YhivianRicart, PilarUrrelo-Cerrón, LuisSánchez-Miralles, AngelSancho Chinesta, SusanaSocias, LorenzoSolé-Violan, JordiTamayo Lomas, LuisVidal, PabloTorres, Antoni2023-05-032023-05-032021-12-312077-0383http://hdl.handle.net/10668/21226Some patients previously presenting with COVID-19 have been reported to develop persistent COVID-19 symptoms. While this information has been adequately recognised and extensively published with respect to non-critically ill patients, less is known about the incidence and factors associated with the characteristics of persistent COVID-19. On the other hand, these patients very often have intensive care unit-acquired pneumonia (ICUAP). A second infectious hit after COVID increases the length of ICU stay and mechanical ventilation and could have an influence on poor health post-COVID 19 syndrome in ICU-discharged patients. This prospective, multicentre, and observational study was carrid out across 40 selected ICUs in Spain. Consecutive patients with COVID-19 requiring ICU admission were recruited and evaluated three months after hospital discharge. A total of 1255 ICU patients were scheduled to be followed up at 3 months; however, the final cohort comprised 991 (78.9%) patients. A total of 315 patients developed ICUAP (97% of them had ventilated ICUAP). Patients requiring invasive mechanical ventilation had more persistent post-COVID-19 symptoms than those who did not require mechanical ventilation. Female sex, duration of ICU stay, development of ICUAP, and ARDS were independent factors for persistent poor health post-COVID-19. Persistent post-COVID-19 symptoms occurred in more than two-thirds of patients. Female sex, duration of ICU stay, development of ICUAP, and ARDS all comprised independent factors for persistent poor health post-COVID-19. Prevention of ICUAP could have beneficial effects in poor health post-COVID-19.enAttribution 4.0 Internationalhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/COVID-19CT abnormalitiesICUSARS-CoV-2lung functionpost-COVIDsequelaeresearch article35011967open access10.3390/jcm11010224PMC8746263https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/11/1/224/pdf?version=1653466555https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8746263/pdf