Severe COVID-19 Complications Research Articles

Decreasing Older Adult COVID-19 Risk Factors Using Digital Technology to Implement a Plant-Based-Diet: An Opinion Paper.

A disproportionate number of COVID-19 cases affect older, minority populations. Obese older adults are at higher risk of developing severe COVID-19 complications and lower survival rates, and minority older adults often experience higher rates of obesity. A plant-based diet intervention may improve COVID-19-related modifiable risk factors for obesity. Encouraging the consumption of plant-based diets comprising vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, seeds, and nuts by utilizing community outreach strategies and digital technology can contribute to improving COVID-19 risk factors among this population.

Sense of purpose in life predicts greater willingness for COVID-19 vaccination

RationaleDespite the clear public health significance of herd immunity to COVID-19, a host of individual differences influence willingness to get vaccinated. One factor likely to motivate individuals is the extent they have a sense of purpose in life, based on the health correlates of purpose and purposeful individuals’ desire to return to their pre-pandemic environments. ObjectiveThe current study examined sense of purpose as a predictor of COVID-19 vaccination willingness in the United States immediately following the initial approval of a COVID-19 vaccine in the United States in 2020. MethodsA nationwide sample of U. S. adults (N = 2009) completed a poll including information on their sense of purpose in life, demographic factors, and depressive symptoms, immediately following the initial approval of a COVID-19 vaccine in the United States in 2020. In addition, they reported on how willing they would be to get the vaccine, assuming that the costs would be covered, as well as their motivations to get the vaccine. ResultsMultiple regression analyses found that sense of purpose predicted greater willingness to get vaccinated, even when accounting for demographic factors, political affiliation, and psychological wellbeing. Adults higher on sense of purpose reported greater importance of getting the vaccine for personal health, the health of others, and to return to regular activities. Exploratory analyses also suggest that purpose may provide a stronger impetus to vaccinate among those in age groups associated with lower risk for severe COVID-19 complications. Conclusions: Although cross-sectional in nature, the current findings suggest sense of purpose in life may be an important factor in encouraging vaccination. Implications are discussed regarding how purposeful messaging may yield greater vaccination rates among individuals who otherwise may be less motivated due to health concerns.

Complement Inhibition and COVID-19: The Story so Far.

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is the most severe complication of COVID-19, a disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS CoV) 2. The mechanisms underlying the progression from asymptomatic disease to pneumonia and ARDS are complex and by far unelucidated. As for bacterial sepsis, the release of damage associated molecular patterns and pathogen associated molecular patterns triggers activation of the complement cascade. Subsequently, overexpressed anaphylatoxins recruit inflammatory cells in the lung and other organs and contribute initiating and amplifying a vicious circle of thromboinflammation causing organs damage and eventually death. Preclinical and observational studies in patients with COVID-19 provided evidence that complement inhibition effectively may attenuate lung and systemic inflammation, restore the coagulation/fibrinolysis balance, improve organs function and eventually may save life. Ongoing Phase 2/3 trials should elucidate the benefit to risk profile of complement inhibitors and may clarify the optimal targets in the complement cascade.

COVID-19 Pathophysiology and Clinical Effects on Multiple Organ Systems - A Narrative Review

Patients with comorbidities including Hypertension (HTN), Diabetes Mellitus (DM), Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Asthma, Obesity, Cardiovascular Disease (CVD), Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), and those who are immunocompromised are prone to more severe complications of COVID-19 and a higher rate of hospitalizations. In the United States, around 94% of COVID-19 deaths had an average of 2.6 additional conditions or causes per death. In a summary report published by the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention of 72,314 cases, case-fatality rate was elevated among those with preexisting comorbid conditions—10.5% for cardiovascular disease, 7.3% for diabetes, 6.3% for chronic respiratory disease, 6.0% for HTN, and 5.6% for cancer. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to threaten people and healthcare systems globally and therefore the global economy. Currently, there is no cure or vaccine for COVID-19 and there is an urgent need to develop target therapies as we continue to learn more about this novel virus. Without therapeutic interventions, much of how we contain the viral spread is prevention through mitigation strategies (social distancing, face masks, supportive care). Early suspicion of COVID-19 symptoms with radiological and laboratory assessments may play a major role in preventing severity of the COVID-19. With this literature review we aim to provide review of pathophysiology of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) and its clinical effects on multiple organ systems.

Is the Endothelium the Missing Link in the Pathophysiology and Treatment of COVID-19 Complications?

Patients with COVID-19 present a wide spectrum of disease severity, from asymptomatic cases in the majority to serious disease leading to critical care and even death. Clinically, four different scenarios occur within the typical disease timeline: first, an incubation and asymptomatic period; second, a stage with mild symptoms due mainly to the virus itself; third, in up to 20% of the patients, a stage with severe symptoms where a hyperinflammatory response with a cytokine storm driven by host immunity induces acute respiratory distress syndrome; and finally, a post-acute sequelae (PASC) phase, which present symptoms that can range from mild or annoying to actually quite incapacitating. Although the most common manifestation is acute respiratory failure of the lungs, other organs are also frequently involved. The clinical manifestations of the COVID-19 infection support a key role for endothelial dysfunction in the pathobiology of this condition. The virus enters into the organism via its interaction with angiotensin-converting enzyme 2-receptor that is present prominently in the alveoli, but also in endothelial cells, which can be directly infected by the virus. Cytokine release syndrome can also drive endothelial damage independently. Consequently, a distinctive feature of SARS-CoV-2 infection is vascular harm, with severe endothelial injury, widespread thrombosis, microangiopathy, and neo-angiogenesis in response to endothelial damage. Therefore, endothelial dysfunction seems to be the pathophysiological substrate for severe COVID-19 complications. Biomarkers of endothelial injury could constitute strong indicators of disease progression and severity. In addition, the endothelium could represent a very attractive target to both prevent and treat these complications. To establish an adequate therapy, the underlying pathophysiology and corresponding clinical stage should be clearly identified. In this review, the clinical features of COVID-19, the central role of the endothelium in COVID-19 and in other pathologies, and the potential of specific therapies aimed at protecting the endothelium in COVID-19 patients are addressed.

Pneumomediastinum associated with severe pneumonia related to COVID-19: diagnosis and management.

Pneumomediastinum (PNM) can develop as a severe complication of severe COVID-19 and may be correlated with greater morbidity and mortality. PNM is a rarely reported complication in COVID-19 patients and usually associated with endotracheal intubation. Our aim was to describe the characteristics of patients with PNM in twenty-one patients with COVID-19 related pneumonia and acute respiratory failure in a retrospective case series. Twenty-one patients were diagnosed, four were treated with high-flow nasal cannula, thirteen with non invasive ventilation and four with invasive mechanical ventilation. In five cases PNM was massive and associated to subcutaneous emphysema; more rarely PNM was associated with pneumothorax. Conservative management was the most used therapeutic strategy. PNM is a serious and not extremely rare complication of severe forms of pulmonary involvement of COVID-19. The clinician should consider this rare complication; moreover, we suggest being careful when clinicians start mechanical ventilation.

Immune thrombocytopenic purpura secondary to COVID-19 – case report

Thrombocytopenia is common in SARS-COV-2 infection, and about a quarter of cases have moderate thrombocytopenia. Severe thrombocytopenia is less common and is associated with severe forms of COVID-19. The pathogenesis of this thrombocytopenia appears to be complex, the immune mechanism being incriminated. Immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is one of the severe complications of COVID-19 and has an increased risk of mucosal or cutaneous bleeding. We present the case of a 72-year-old woman admitted to the hospital with moderate COVID-19 who developed severe thrombocytopenia 13 days after the onset of COVID symptoms. Nine days after admission, her platelets decreased from 149×109/L to 3×109/L and numerous patches appeared on the skin and mucous membranes. She was responsive to corticosteroids and platelet transfusion, after five days, the platelet level returned to normal. Close hematological monitoring of patients with COVID is necessary to prevent severe complications. Even if this patient did not receive immunoglobulins, corticosteroid therapy and platelet administration led to a favorable outcome.

COVID-19 related outcomes for hospitalized patients (pts) with solid malignancies (SM).

e18626 Background: Pts with malignancies are at risk for developing severe complications of COVID-19 with high mortality rate. We retrospectively analyzed COVID-19 related outcomes for hospitalized pts with SMs. Methods: We collected data on hospitalized pts with SMs and COVID-19 from 3/1/20 to Jan 1/1/21. Diagnosis COVID-19 was confirmed by RT-PCR of nasopharyngeal swabs. We assessed the association between the 30-day mortality and potential prognostic variables such as tumor types, cancer status, timing of treatment, types of anticancer therapy using logistic regression analyses. Results: A total of 246 hospitalized pts with SMs had COVID-19. Median age was 70 years, 87 (35%) were ≥75 years, 151 (61%) were female. The most common SMs were breast (56 [23%]), non-small cell lung (44 [18%]) and colon (31 [13%]). 154 (63%) pts were on active anticancer therapies. Of those 88 (35.5%) received treatment within 2 weeks, 16 (16.5%) within 4-12 weeks, 99 (39.9%) >3 months prior to COVID-19 diagnosis. 101 (65%) pts received cytotoxic chemotherapies, 26 (16.8%) received immune check point inhibitors (ICIs), 17 (11%) received targeted agents such as anti-EGFR therapy and 11 (7.1%) received monoclonal antibodies. Overall 30-day mortality was 42%, however, all pts with melanoma (7/7) died. The 30-day mortalities for pts who received anticancer treatments within 4 weeks, 4-12 weeks and >12 weeks of COVID-19 diagnosis were 47%, 50%, and 37%. For pts who never received treatment, 30-day mortality was 31%. For pts were in remission, stable disease and progressive disease, the 30-day mortalities were 32%, 35% and 62%. The 30-day mortalities for pts who received cytotoxic therapy, monoclonal antibodies, targeted therapies and ICIs, were 38%, 46%, 41% and 69%. Logistic regression analysis showed that pts who were >80 years of age (OR 3.6, 95% CI 1.6-8.1), had progressive disease (OR 3.4, 95% CI 1.8-6.5) or treated with ICIs (OR 3.6, 95% CI 1.5-8.7) were associated with higher 30-day mortality. Conclusions: COVID-19 associated 30-day mortality is high for hospitalized pts with SMs. Early surveillance of clinical deterioration could be helpful for hospitalized SMs pts with risk factors identified here. Further studies are needed to discern the observed association between ICIs use and worse COVID-19 outcome.[Table: see text]

The Immun System Response İn Covıd-19 Infectıon İn Polycystıc Ovary Syndrome

COVID-19, globally affecting people's lives, is a respiratory disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which reaches the pandemic state. People who are vulnerable and not immunocompromised are known to suffer severe COVID-19 complications and are at a relatively high risk of death. Risk factors include age, male gender, cardiovascular comorbidities including hypertension, history of cardiovascular disease, insulin resistance, diabetes, and obesity. Emerging data also linked the risk of severe COVID-19 to certain factors such as hyper inflammation, low vitamin D levels, and hyperandrogenism. Androgens play a key role in the pathophysiology of this infection. Therefore requires risk assessment of women with the polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), the most common endocrinopathy in women of reproductive age with a prevalence of 8-13%, suffering from hyperandrogenism and characterized by most metabolic diseases. In this article, possible pathophysiological mechanisms related to the risk of COVID-19 in women with PCOS will be discussed. More scientific research is needed to understand which women are most at risk of becoming infected or developing complications, what causal mechanisms are possible to intervene, and what the long-term consequences will be.

Effect of Hartmann number on Natural Convection of Pleural Effusion

The most severe pandemic complications of COVID-19 are mainly caused by large droplet transmission. An initial sign of coronavirus disease is pleural effusion.Droplet transmission of the COVID-19 virus can occur by direct contact with inflamed human beings and indirect touch with surroundingsurfaces or with objects used by inflamed person. Present study describes the underlying physics of the pleural fluid deformation in the lung on free convection. Pleural effusion (excess fluid)happens whilst fluid strengthenthe area surrounded by the chest wall and lung, the tissue around the lung may become inflamed, this can manifest for plenty distinct speculate, such as pneumonia. The various velocity, temperature, concentration profiles are graphically obtained with increasing and decreasing non-dimensional parameter according to the nature of the pleural fluid.

Audit on Steroid Replacement in Confirmed or Suspected COVID-19 Patients With Adrenal Insufficiency or Adrenal Suppression in a District General Hospital

Aim: In response to new updated guidance from Society For Endocrinology April 2020, this Audit was conduct to assess the adequacy of steroid replacement in confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients with adrenal insufficiency or adrenal suppression admitted to Bedford District General Hospital. In steroid dependent patients (Addison’s disease, adrenal insufficiency, pituitary steroid insufficiency, use of long term steroids for other conditions - 5mg or more of prednisolone (or equivalent doses) daily for longer than 4 weeks) admitted to hospital very unwell with confirmed or suspected COVID recommendations is to start on Hydrocortisone 100 mg per IV injection followed by continuous IV infusion of 200 mg hydrocortisone/24h (alternatively 50 mg every 6 h per intravenous or IM bolus injection). Method: Retrospect data collection on Patients admitted in May 2020 to Bedford Hospital with suspected or confirmed COVID 19 disease with adrenal insufficiency or on long term steroid use. Those patients should be started on Hydrocortisone 100 mg per IV injection followed by continuous IV infusion of 200 mg hydrocortisone/24h (alternatively 50 mg every 6 h per intravenous or IM bolus injection). Results: In May 2020, 295 patients admitted under the medical team in Bedford Hospital with confirmed or suspected COVID-19. Only 12 patients met the inclusion criteria, one patient with a diagnosis of Addison disease and the remaining 11 patients on long term steroids. None of these patients were managed as per updated guidelines. 6 patients had less than the adequate dose, they were started on prednisolone 30-40mg. 4 patients dose of oral steroids was only doubled, 1 patient received the same dose of oral steroid and the only confirmed Addison had higher dose of hydrocortisone. Moreover, In June 2020, The RECOVERY Outcome trial results showed that Dexamethasone 6mg for 10 days reduces the death by one third in hospitalised patient with severe respiratory complications of COVID-19. Dexamethasone 6mg is 12 times the physiological required steroid dose, this is equivalent to 240mg hydrocortisone, which is adequate for steroid replacement in patients with adrenal insufficiency or suppression. Conclusion: In view of these results and the outcome of the RECOVERY Trial, Local trust guidelines updated, indicated that any patient with Adrenal insufficiency or suppression including those on long term steroids very unwell admitted to the hospital should receive Dexamethasone if requiring oxygen or Hydrocortisone if not requiring oxygen. Recommendation of changes included teaching sessions delivered to doctors, posters on updated guidelines distributed in major areas in hospital and trust guidelines updated on the intranet.

COVID-19 outcomes in a large pediatric hematology-oncology center in Houston, Texas

An understanding of the behavior of SARS-CoV-2 in pediatric hematology-oncology patients is essential to the optimal management of these patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study describes the characteristics and outcomes of COVID-19 disease in children with cancer or hematologic disorders treated at a large children’s hospital. A retrospective cohort study was conducted at Texas Children’s Cancer and Hematology Center from January 1, 2020 to September 30, 2020. All patients with a primary hematology-oncology diagnosis and SARS-CoV-2 positivity by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction were identified. Clinical and laboratory data were obtained from the medical record. Descriptive analyses were performed to evaluate COVID-19-related outcomes and risk factors for severe disease in this population. We identified 109 patients with COVID-19 disease, including 52 hematology, 51 oncology, and 6 HSCT patients; median age was 10.3 years (IQR 4.4–15.9), and 58.7% were male. Seventy-four percent of the patients were managed in the outpatient setting. Patients with sickle cell disease were more likely to require hospitalization. ICU care was needed in 8% (n = 9) of the entire cohort, and mechanical ventilation was required in 6.4% (6 oncology patients, 1 hematology patient). COVID-19 contributed to the deaths of two cancer patients. No deaths occurred in hematology or HSCT patients. In conclusion, the risk of severe COVID-19 complications is slightly higher in pediatric hematology-oncology patients than in the general pediatric population but lower than initially feared. For most asymptomatic patients, primary disease management may continue as planned, but treatment decisions must be individualized.

Critical analysis of acute kidney injury in pediatric COVID-19 patients in the intensive care unit.

Background and objectivesCOVID-19 is responsible for the 2019 novel coronavirus disease pandemic. Despite the vast research about the adult population, there has been little data collected on acute kidney injury (AKI) epidemiology, associated risk factors, treatments, and mortality in pediatric COVID-19 patients admitted to the ICU. AKI is a severe complication of COVID-19 among children and adolescents.MethodsA comprehensive literature search was conducted in PubMed/MEDLINE and Cochrane Center Trials to find all published literature related to AKI in COVID-19 patients, including incidence and outcomes.ResultsTwenty-four studies reporting the outcomes of interest were included. Across all studies, the overall sample size of COVID positive children was 1,247 and the median age of this population was 9.1 years old. Among COVID positive pediatric patients, there was an AKI incidence of 30.51%, with only 0.56% of these patients receiving KRT. The mortality was 2.55% among all COVID positive pediatric patients. The incidence of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) among COVID positive patients was 74.29%.ConclusionAKI has shown to be a negative prognostic factor in adult patients with COVID-19 and now also in the pediatric cohort with high incidence and mortality rates. Additionally, our findings show a strong comparison in epidemiology between adult and pediatric COVID-19 patients; however, they need to be confirmed with additional data and studies.Graphical abstract Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00467-021-05084-x.

Admission levels of Soluble Urokinase Plasminogen Activator Receptor (suPAR) are Associated with the Development of Severe Complications in Hospitalised COVID-19 Patients: A Prospective Cohort Study

ObjectiveTo examine the association between plasma levels of the soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) and the incidence of severe complications of COVID-19. Methods403 RT-PCR-confirmed COVID-19 patients were recruited and prospectively followed-up at a major hospital in the United Arab Emirates. The primary endpoint was time from admission until the development of a composite outcome, including acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), intensive care unit (ICU) admission, or death from any cause. Patients discharged alive were considered as competing events to the primary outcome. Competing risk regression was used to quantify the association between suPAR and the incidence of the primary outcome. Results6.2% of patients experienced ARDS or ICU admission, but none died. Taking into account competing risk, the incidence of the primary outcome was 11.5% (95% confidence interval [CI], 6.7–16.3) in patients with suPAR levels >3.91 ng/mL compared to 2.9% (95% CI, 0.4–5.5) in those with suPAR ≤3.91 ng/mL. Also, an increase by 1 ng/mL in baseline suPAR resulted in a 58% rise in the hazard of developing the primary outcome (hazard ratio 1.6, 95% CI, 1.2–2.1, p = 0.003). ConclusionsuPAR has an excellent prognostic utility in predicting severe complications in hospitalised COVID-19 patients.

Can glucose-lowering drugs affect the prognosis of COVID-19 in patients with type 2 diabetes?

The emergence of a novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, in December, 2019, has had devastating consequences on health, social, and economic systems around the world. Of the estimated 115 million people (about 10% with diabetes) who have been infected with SARS-CoV-2, more than 2·5 million patients had died due to COVID-19 at the time of writing (data from the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center). People with diabetes and related comorbidities are at increased risk of severe COVID-19 complications, and COVID-19-related mortality in this population is two to three times higher than that in people without diabetes.

ВОЗМОЖНОСТИ ДИАГНОСТИКИ И ХИРУРГИЧЕСКОГО ЛЕЧЕНИЯ ОСЛОЖНЕНИЙ ВИРУСНОГО ПОРАЖЕНИЯ ЛЁГКИХ ПРИ COVID-19

The article presents description of our own observation of a clinical case of severe viral infection caused by SARS- CoV-2 complicated by bilateral polysegmental pneumonia, complete bronchocutaneous fistula in a patient born in 1961. Brief information about the features of pathogenesis, clinical presentation, differential diagnosis and surgical treatment of pulmonary complications of this pathology according to modern literary data is presented. The study of the given clinical case indicates that the most important component of differential diagnosis of lung lesions with SARS-CoV-2 virus is laboratory diagnosis and high-resolution multispiral computed tomography. Pneumothorax and pyopnevothorax are a severe complication of COVID-19. However, in persistent bronchopleural fistula, it is necessary to continue active surgical treatment when it is clinically possible, performing minimally traumatic interventions.

The Importance of Happy Hypoxemia in COVID-19.

BackgroundNowadays, the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) and its complications are one of the main concerns of the world. One of the most severe complications of COVID-19 is hypoxemia.ObjectivesThis study aimed to assess the importance of happy hypoxemia in COVID-19.MethodsWe systematically searched web of science, PubMed, and Google scholar databases to find articles related to COVID-19 and happy hypoxemia.ResultsCOVID-19 causes a type of hypoxemia named silent (happy) hypoxemia, which has an atypical clinical presentation. This type of hypoxemia has not been noted before in viral pneumonia, and there is no specific treatment for this serious complication. Patients with silent hypoxemia may develop severe hypoxemia without dyspnea and with near-normal lung compliance. These patients are awake, calm, and responsive. Although their lungs are not oxygenated efficiently, they are alert and cooperative. Their condition may be deteriorated rapidly without warning and causes death.ConclusionsAccording to the findings, paying attention to happy hypoxemia is important for improving the health status of COVID-19 patients.

Can Improved Periodontal Health Be a Key Factor in Preventing Severe COVID-19 Complications: An Evidence-Based Review

COVID-19 is now recognized as a pandemic throughout the world and the severity of the disease has been attributed to many patient-related medical risk factors, which include diabetes, hypertension, respiratory diseases, cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney diseases due to exaggerated immune response associated with these diseases. However, in recent decades, there has been a renewed interest in the association of systemic diseases with periodontal health as the severity of these diseases increases in patients having compromised periodontal health. Therefore, it is suggested that there could be a possible link between the status of periodontal health and the severity of the disease in patients suffering from COVID-19. The purpose of this review article is to explore and highlight the various common mechanisms between periodontal disease and COVID-19 and further explore the role of periodontal disease as a contributing factor for COVID-19 related complications.

Safety of disease-modifying treatments in SARS-CoV-2 antibody-positive multiple sclerosis patients

BackgroundCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) raises particular concerns for people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) on disease-modifying treatments (DMTs), and for physicians caring for them. The impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection on PwMS receiving DMTs that inhibit immune cell trafficking, such as natalizumab (NTZ) and fingolimod (FTY), remains to be determined, as do the possible effects of these drugs on both the infection and the related disease. AimsTo describe self-reported COVID-19 symptoms and disease severity in PwMS on NTZ or FTY who received serology confirmation of SARS-CoV-2 infection. MethodsFrom 27th April to 3rd May 2020, telephone interviews were conducted with 140 PwMS under treatment with NTZ or FTY in order to collect structured data on multiple sclerosis (MS) and COVID-19. The patients, all followed at our center, were classified as symptomatic, paucisymptomatic or asymptomatic on the basis of their self-reported clinical characteristics. COVID-19 severity was rated on a 7-point ordinal scale. In addition, in the period 4th May to 3rd June 2020 SARS-CoV-2 serology testing, using the Roche SARS-CoV-2 IgG assay (ElecsysⓇ), was performed in 104/140 (74.2%) of the interviewed PwMS (50 treated with NTZ and 54 with FTY). Results14/104 (13.4%) PwMS on NTZ or FTY had anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies: 8 met the criteria for asymptomatic, 3 for paucisymptomatic and 3 for symptomatic COVID-19 (COVID-19 severity score lower than 3). None of them required hospitalization or showed severe COVID-19 complications. ConclusionsDespite the relatively high SARS CoV-2 seroprevalence found in this sample of PwMS, all the positive cases showed either no or only mild COVID-19 symptoms. These reassuring findings indicate a lack of COVID-19 complications in PwMS on DMTs and support the hypothesis that it is safe to maintain ongoing treatment with these drugs in the current setting.

PULMONARY EMBOLISM: A COMPLICATION OF COVID -19 INFECTION IN POSTPARTUM – CASE REPORT

It has been proposed that pregnant women and their fetuses may be particularly at risk for poor outcomes due to the coronavirus pandemic. A 28-year old women in early postpartum period after Caesarian delivery presented with a five-day history of malaise, bone and muscle pains, dry cough, fever and dyspnea. A nasopharyngeal swab was positive for SARS-CoV-2. Laboratory findings confirmed increased inflammatory markers. Her condition rapidly worsened after delivery, leading to a severe respiratory failure, low oxygen saturation and the need of non-invasive ventilation.   What was the most notable from laboratory follow-ups was marked elevation of fibrin degradation products, despite anticoagulation prophylaxis. We immediately performed CT angiography, which showed thromboembolism. Subsequently, anticoagulant therapy doses were increased up to therapeutic doses and additional antithrombotic therapy was initiated. Ten days later, she was discharged in a good clinical condition, oxygen-free, with normal auscultatory findings and laboratory analyses within reference ranges. The purpose of this case report is to draw attention to probably one of the most life-threatening and severe complications of COVID-19, which is the thrombogenic component of the infection, appealing toregular monitoring of haemostasis and predictive laboratory markers of inflammation. This may alleviate or prevent the occurrence of cytokine storm and to direct the therapeutic approach, emphasizing the need of adequate doses of anticoagulant therapy, with special consideration to the most vulnerable group of patients –gravid patients and new mothers in early postpartum period. Keywords: COVID- 19, thromboembolism, post-partum complications.