Treatment with Botulinum toxin A (BoNT-A) is critical for the maintenance of function and quality of life in patients with spasticity or dystonia. During COVID-19 control measures the BoNT outpatient clinic LKH Horn was closed, leading to rescheduling of BoNT-A injections. A survey was performed to investigate the effect on the affected patients.
Botulinum toxin A (BoNT-A) is considered a safe and effective treatment for spasticity and dystonia. The relief of symptoms starts approximately 10 days after the injection of a single dose of BoNT-A into the affected muscles and last between two and four months. Individual interinjections intervals are critical for the maintenance of this effect. The BoNT outpatient clinic LKH Horn was closed from November to December 2020 during COVID-19 control measures, leading to several weeks of delay in BoNT-A re-injections.
The aim of this survey was to investigate the influence of COVID-19 related injection delays on symptoms, physical functioning and quality of life (QoL) of the affected patients.
Between April and July 2021, 32 outpatients who were treated more than 12 months at the BoNT outpatient clinic Horn and experienced at least two weeks of injection delays, completed a structured face-to-face questionnaire. The structured questionnaire included 6 questions about changes in spastic or dystonic symptoms, the impact of the delays of injection intervals on QoL as well as about patients’ perception of the shutdown.
Publications
- Teuschl Y, Bancher C, Brainin M, Dachenhausen A, Matz K, Pinter MM. COVID-19 related delays of botulinum toxin injections have a negative impact on the quality of life of patients with dystonia and spasticity - a single center ambulatory care study. J Neural Transm 2021.
- Teuschl Y, Bancher C, Brainin M, Dachenhausen A, Matz K, Pinter MM. Impact of Covid-19 related delays of botulinum toxin injections on the quality of life of patients with dystonia or spasticity. Poster 25th World Congress of Neurology (WCN 2021), virtual.
