Influence of COVID-19 on postoperative prognosis and pain management

Yue-Zi Hu, Zai-Long Qin, Wen Tang, Zhao-Lan Hu and Ru-Yi Luo

PLOS ONE, 2026, vol. 21, issue 3, 1-13

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

Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:plo:pone00:0344211

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0344211

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