Abstract
BackgroundA high incidence of thromboembolic phenomena has been widely reported in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia. There is, however, a paucity of data detailing the incidence and characteristics of pulmonary emboli (PE) in COVID-19 patients in the South African setting.ObjectivesTo describe the incidence and characteristics of PE confirmed by CT pulmonary angiogram (CTPA) in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia admitted to a tertiary hospital in the Western Cape, South Africa.MethodsThis was a retrospective-, descriptive study of all adult patients with COVID-19 pneumonia confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) undergoing CTPA for suspected PE while admitted to Groote Schuur Hospital. The study period was from 01 April 2020 to 30 September 2020.ResultsThe study cohort consisted of 116 patients, 59% being female, of whom 29% were pregnant or in the postpartum period. The median age for both genders combined was 49.5 years. The overall incidence of PE was 19%, with 20% in our subset of pregnant and postpartum patients. The majority (64%) of PE’s were reported as being segmental in anatomical location.ConclusionThe noteworthy cohort included patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB), HIV as well as pregnant and postpartum patients. The overall incidence of PE was 19% with no significant differences in demographics, comorbidities or D-dimer levels between patients with or without PE. The importance of a high clinical index of suspicion together with the role of CTPA in diagnosing PE in hospitalised COVID-19 patients is emphasised.
Highlights
The strong association between coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia and venous thromboembolism (VTE) has been well described.[1,2,3] Venous thromboembolism and, pulmonary emboli (PE), can have devastating outcomes if left untreated.[4]
This study aimed to describe the incidence and characteristics of CT pulmonary angiogram (CTPA) confirmed PE in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia admitted to a tertiary hospital in the Western Cape, South Africa
This study is the first to describe the incidence and characteristics of PE confirmed on CTPA in hospitalised COVID-19 patients in South Africa
Summary
The strong association between coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia and venous thromboembolism (VTE) has been well described.[1,2,3] Venous thromboembolism and, pulmonary emboli (PE), can have devastating outcomes if left untreated.[4]. The strong association between coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia and venous thromboembolism (VTE) has been well described.[1,2,3]. Pulmonary emboli (PE), can have devastating outcomes if left untreated.[4]. A hypercoagulable state in patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia increases the risk of thrombosis.[3]. Risk factors provoking VTE include bed-bound patients, vascular lines, advanced age, high body mass index (BMI) and underlying cardiovascular abnormalities.[4]. Evidence suggests that all hospitalised patients with COVID-19 pneumonia should receive prophylactic anticoagulation in the absence of contraindications.[1,2,3,5]. A high incidence of thromboembolic phenomena has been widely reported in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia. There is, a paucity of data detailing the incidence and characteristics of pulmonary emboli (PE) in COVID-19 patients in the South African setting
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
