CASE REPORT
A case of successful treatment of diffuse post-coronavirus pulmonary fibrosis with pirfenidone
 
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1
Ukrainian Military Medical Academy, Department of Military Therapy, Kyiv, Ukraine
 
2
Command of the Medical Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Central Medical and Evacuation Administration, Kyiv, Ukraine
 
3
Ukrainian Military Medical Academy, Department of Military General Practice and Family Medicine, Kyiv, Ukraine
 
4
National Military Medical Clinical Center ‘Main Military Clinical Hospital,’ Pulmonology Clinic, Kyiv, Ukraine
 
5
National Military Medical Clinical Center ‘Main Military Clinical Hospital,’ Therapeutic and Methodological Department, Kyiv, Ukraine
 
 
Submission date: 2023-02-09
 
 
Final revision date: 2023-05-07
 
 
Acceptance date: 2023-05-07
 
 
Online publication date: 2023-11-17
 
 
Corresponding author
Svitlana Bychkova   

Department of Military Therapy, Ukrainian Military Medical Academy, 01015, Knyaziv Ostroz’kykh, 45/1,Kyiv, Ukraine.
 
 
Pol. Ann. Med. 2023;30(2):149-152
 
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Introduction:
Accumulated evidence suggests that pulmonary fibrosis is a common complication of COVID-19. Fibrotic post-coronavirus lung changes are similar to the changes found in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Aim:
The paper describes the outcomes of pirfenidone usage in treatment of patients with post-coronavirus pulmonary fibrosis.

Case study:
The paper presents a case study about a 51-year-old male patient, who had diffuse post-coronavirus pulmonary fibrosis with significant impairment of external respiratory function. The patient had experienced severe COVID-19 bilateral polysegmental pneumonia. In the 3rd week of the disease, multislice computed tomography detected signs of fibrosis that affected 80% of lung tissue. It was decided to start antifibrotic treatment with pirfenidone, which is usually used to treat idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Results and discussion:
Pirfenidone was prescribed for 3 months according to the conventional scheme in combination with methylprednisolone. This therapy resulted in significant decrease of fibrosis scope , normalization of respiratory function and improvement of patient's quality of life. A key feature of the presented clinical case is a significant positive effect of pirfenidone in treating coronavirus-associated pulmonary fibrosis, which affected 80% of lung tissue of the patient.

Conclusions:
Post-coronavirus pulmonary fibrosis is characterized by the severe oxygen insufficiency and requires a constant oxygen support. The treatment that included pirfenidone in combination with steroids has demonstrated convincing positive effect. It reduces post-coronavirus pulmonary fibrosis and improves lung function.

FUNDING
None.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
None to declare.
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