COVID-19 and Pulmonary Emboli: A Case Series and Literature Review
Introduction: There is recent evidence that coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection results in a prothrombotic state that may increase the risk of venous thromboembolism. Both COVID-19 infection and pulmonary emboli can present with dyspnoea, tachypnoea, hypoxaemia and an elevated D-dimer. Ide...
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2020-08-01
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doaj-0dd463de06a748d5882b272ab4a601c12020-11-25T03:26:26ZengeScholarship Publishing, University of CaliforniaClinical Practice and Cases in Emergency Medicine2474-252X2020-08-014310.5811/cpcem.2020.7.48174cpcem-04-299COVID-19 and Pulmonary Emboli: A Case Series and Literature ReviewJames Greenan-BarrettAdrian PereraIntroduction: There is recent evidence that coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection results in a prothrombotic state that may increase the risk of venous thromboembolism. Both COVID-19 infection and pulmonary emboli can present with dyspnoea, tachypnoea, hypoxaemia and an elevated D-dimer. Identifying a pulmonary embolus in a patient with COVID-19 and differentiating it from the typical clinical and biochemical features of COVID-19 is challenging. Case Reports: We report four cases, and reviewed two further cases in the literature, of a pulmonary embolus in patients who presented to the emergency department with COVID-19 and no other risk factor for a pulmonary embolus. Conclusion: We identified a series of atypical features that should raise suspicion for a pulmonary embolus: pleuritic chest pain; haemoptysis; atrial fibrillation; tachycardia; hypotension; late onset deterioration; evidence of right heart strain; or a disproportionally elevated D-dimer in comparison to ferritin.https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0hj7b1dh |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
James Greenan-Barrett Adrian Perera |
spellingShingle |
James Greenan-Barrett Adrian Perera COVID-19 and Pulmonary Emboli: A Case Series and Literature Review Clinical Practice and Cases in Emergency Medicine |
author_facet |
James Greenan-Barrett Adrian Perera |
author_sort |
James Greenan-Barrett |
title |
COVID-19 and Pulmonary Emboli: A Case Series and Literature Review |
title_short |
COVID-19 and Pulmonary Emboli: A Case Series and Literature Review |
title_full |
COVID-19 and Pulmonary Emboli: A Case Series and Literature Review |
title_fullStr |
COVID-19 and Pulmonary Emboli: A Case Series and Literature Review |
title_full_unstemmed |
COVID-19 and Pulmonary Emboli: A Case Series and Literature Review |
title_sort |
covid-19 and pulmonary emboli: a case series and literature review |
publisher |
eScholarship Publishing, University of California |
series |
Clinical Practice and Cases in Emergency Medicine |
issn |
2474-252X |
publishDate |
2020-08-01 |
description |
Introduction: There is recent evidence that coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection results in a prothrombotic state that may increase the risk of venous thromboembolism. Both COVID-19 infection and pulmonary emboli can present with dyspnoea, tachypnoea, hypoxaemia and an elevated D-dimer. Identifying a pulmonary embolus in a patient with COVID-19 and differentiating it from the typical clinical and biochemical features of COVID-19 is challenging. Case Reports: We report four cases, and reviewed two further cases in the literature, of a pulmonary embolus in patients who presented to the emergency department with COVID-19 and no other risk factor for a pulmonary embolus. Conclusion: We identified a series of atypical features that should raise suspicion for a pulmonary embolus: pleuritic chest pain; haemoptysis; atrial fibrillation; tachycardia; hypotension; late onset deterioration; evidence of right heart strain; or a disproportionally elevated D-dimer in comparison to ferritin. |
url |
https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0hj7b1dh |
work_keys_str_mv |
AT jamesgreenanbarrett covid19andpulmonaryemboliacaseseriesandliteraturereview AT adrianperera covid19andpulmonaryemboliacaseseriesandliteraturereview |
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