Artralgia crônica após a febre Chikungunya estudo transversal do perfil funcional e laboral

Abstract

Introduction: Chikungunya fever is an arbovirus disease caused by human infection with the Chikungunya virus. From contact with the virus to the manifestation of the symptoms, there is a gap of 2 to 7 days. After this period, the acute signs appear, and these are resolved in a few days or weeks. However, approximately 50% of infected individuals still with generalized polyarthralgia and chronic fatigue, which can last for up to 6 years. Studies try to estimate the impact of Chikungunya fever on morbidity, functionality and social impact. The understanding about physical and mental health disability, as well as the influence on the work capacity could be important to better clinical assessment and public policies. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the functionality, pain, quality of life, sleep and occupational productivity of individuals with chronic arthralgia due to Chikungunya fever; Materials and Methods: a cross-sectional observational study was conducted in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, from February to June 2019, with 61 individuals in chronic phase of Chikungunya fever. Data were collected using sociodemographic questionnaires, Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ), Quality of Life Questionnaire (SF-36), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Work Productivity and Activity Impairment (WPAI). The age mean of the participants was 47.74 ± 10.67 and the duration of Chikungunya fever was 2.84 ± 0.90 years. The mean of pain was moderate 5.57 ± 2.25 and according to the HAQ, the functional deficit was moderate in 55.7% of the sample. The most cited pain points were wrists, knees and ankles. Using Pearson's correlation test, absenteeism and presenteeism have a significant correlation with HAQ, BPI interference and SF-36 physical score. The general loss of productivity at work showed a significant correlation with age, HAQ, BPI interference, SF-36 physical score, SF-36 total score and PSQI. Activity impairment only correlated with BPI interference. Conclusion: The study showed decrease in functionality, moderate pain and sleep disturbance in individuals with chronic arthralgia due to Chikungunya fever. It is suggested that these clinical findings negatively impact in activities of daily living and productivity at work.