Post COVID Recovery Center
What We Do
Our Post COVID Recovery Clinic is able to evaluate a patient with chronic fatigue and orthostatic intolerance symptoms with autonomic testing. This can be achieved by measuring heart rate and variability using different techniques and different maneuvers involving standing and tilt testing.
Heart rate variability (HRV) is cost-effective and can be performed noninvasively in the outpatient center in a doctor’s office with appropriate expertise.
Non-invasive cardiac and pulmonary testing for breathlessness.
Evaluating patients with dry eyes, dry mouth, loss of taste, and loss of smell with appropriate lab testing and referrals.
Autonomic nervous system balance can be assessed with this technique and this may guide in diagnosis and treatment algorithms to apply to the patient. Various blood and urine tests for oxidative stress can also be utilized, although this is in the experimental stage.
Oxidative stress reflects the damage the virus has propagated at the cellular level. Sweat gland analysis with sudomotor testing can be a surrogate for a small fiber biopsy and given in indication whether the small fibers are inflamed or deficient, which we often see in post viral syndromes. There may be vitamins and pharmacology that may be useful in treating these disorders.
The Post COVID Recovery Center has the ability to perform an order for pertinent diagnostic cardiac and pulmonary tests and be able to assess one’s cardiac and pulmonary function effectively.
Post-COVID Recovery Protocol
- Comprehensive history and physical examination.
- Assessing chronic fatigue quantitatively using the Bell Scale.
- Assessing for depression and anxiety using various scales.
- 12-lead electrocardiogram.
- Cardiac echocardiogram when clinically indicated.
- Comprehensive Pulmonary function testing when clinically indicated.
- Autonomic nervous testing when orthostatic intolerance, sweating, thermoregulatory disorders, or chronic fatigue are rominent symptoms.
- Sudomotor testing to assess small fiber function of sweat glands.
- Oxidative stress profiling when applicable.
- Assessment of renal function when indicated.
- Assessment of histamine overproduction states, such as mass cell activation syndrome when indicated.
- Assessment for hypermobility.
- Assessment for chronic pain mechanisms.
- When indicated, autonomic nervous system adjustments which may be responsible for chronic headache syndromes
Testimonials
March 4, 2021
I am a 33-year-old frontline worker who contracted the COVID-19 virus in November 2020. My recovery was taking longer than anticipated, and I was having a very difficult time in completing daily routine tasks. Under the care of Dr. DePace & Franklin Cardiovascular, the proper testing procedures and diagnosis identified my complications were due to the reactivation of Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS). The treatment regimen of medication and antioxidants prescribed by Dr. DePace allowed me to get back to my normal life. I am so grateful for the care I have received and cannot thank Dr. DePace and his team enough for their expertise.
Thank you!
– A.S.
Articles (PDF)
Click any link below to read/download the article
- Long-COVID Syndrome and the Cardiovascular System: A Review of Neurocardiologic Effects on Multiple Systems
- Long-Covid Syndrome: A Multi-Organ Disorder
- Long COVID Syndrome for Patients
- Long-COVID Syndrome Article by Dr. DePace – January 2022
- COVID Leads to Oxidative Stress and Parasympathetic and Sympathetic (P&S) Dysfunction
- COVID-19 and Post-COVID-19 Sequelae
- Mechanism of Post COVID-19 Syndrome: Oxidative Stress
- Post COVID-19 “Long” Syndrome Symptoms
Article Links and Resources
- ‘Long Covid’: Why are some people not recovering?
- Inside ‘post-Covid’ clinics: How specialized centers are trying to treat long-haulers
- What Is Long COVID (PASC)? (WebMD)
- A Third of COVID-19 Patients Report Persistent Symptoms 6 Months After Illness
- Long-Term Effects of COVID-19 (CDC)
- How elite athletes have struggled with the long-term effects of Covid
- When Does COVID-19 Become A Disability?
- Long COVID Support
Post COVID Videos