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Published on: December 19, 2020
Patients with Mild COVID-19 Symptoms and Coincident Pulmonary Embolism: A Case Series
Joshua W Joseph1, Jonathan C Roberts2, Cheri N Weaver2
1Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Department of Emergency Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts.
Insights
Patients with mild coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may still face a high risk of pulmonary embolism, even without typical risk factors. This highlights the need for vigilance in diagnosing COVID-19-related clotting events.
Area of Science:
- Medicine
- Infectious Diseases
- Cardiology
Background:
- Severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is linked to thrombotic events.
- The risk of thrombosis in mild COVID-19 remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the risk of pulmonary embolism in patients with mild COVID-19.
Main Methods:
- A case series of three patients with mild COVID-19 presenting with chest pain and diagnosed with pulmonary embolism.
- Patients had mild symptoms and met pulmonary embolism rule-out criteria.
Main Results:
- All three patients with mild COVID-19 were diagnosed with pulmonary embolism.
- Pulmonary embolism occurred despite mild symptoms and absence of common risk factors.
Conclusions:
- Active or suspected COVID-19 may elevate pulmonary embolism risk, even without typical risk factors.
- Chest pain in COVID-19 patients warrants consideration for pulmonary embolism.
Introduction:
Frequent thrombotic complications have been reported in patients with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection. The risk in patients with mild disease is unknown.
Case Report:
We report a case series of three individuals recently diagnosed with COVID-19, who presented to the emergency department with chest pain and were found to have pulmonary emboli. The patients had mild symptoms, no vital sign abnormalities, and were negative according to the pulmonary embolism rule-out criteria.
Conclusion:
This suggests that patients with active or suspected COVID-19 should be considered at elevated risk for pulmonary embolism when presenting with chest pain, even without common risk factors for pulmonary embolism.
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