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Gastrointestinal bleeding in patients with COVID-19: an integrative review
Ana Clara Freitas Galvão Soares DA Costa1, Olival Cirilo Lucena DA Fonseca Neto1,2
1- Faculdade de Medicina Uninassau - Recife - PE - Brasil.
Insights
COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) can cause gastrointestinal bleeding. This review confirms the link and highlights predisposing factors, emphasizing early symptom recognition for better patient outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Infectious Diseases
- Internal Medicine
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by SARS-CoV-2, significantly impacted global health.
- While primarily respiratory, COVID-19 also affects the gastrointestinal tract, leading to varied symptoms.
- Gastrointestinal bleeding is a recognized, though less common, manifestation of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review and synthesize existing literature on gastrointestinal bleeding in COVID-19 patients.
- To identify common comorbidities, clinical presentations, and treatments associated with this complication.
- To establish the link between SARS-CoV-2 pathophysiology and gastrointestinal bleeding.
Main Methods:
- An integrative literature review was conducted.
- A qualitative approach was employed to analyze selected studies.
- Sixteen relevant articles met the inclusion criteria for this review.
Main Results:
- Patients with COVID-19 exhibited gastrointestinal symptoms, including bleeding.
- Common comorbidities and clinical manifestations were identified as potential contributing factors.
- Therapies used for COVID-19 infection were also noted as potential predisposing elements for GI bleeding.
Conclusions:
- The association between COVID-19 and gastrointestinal bleeding is supported by current literature.
- The pathophysiological mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 directly impact the gastrointestinal tract.
- Early identification of GI symptoms in COVID-19 patients is crucial for effective management and complication prevention.
Introduction:
In 2020, the world suffered a major impact from the COVID-19 pandemic, especially due to the high transmissibility of the virus. It is a disease that predominates with respiratory manifestations, but there is involvement of the gastrointestinal tract, causing symptoms ranging from mild to more severe. Highlighting gastrointestinal bleeding, it is a symptom resulting from the involvement of the SARS-CoV-2 virus described by several reports and case series.
Methods:
through an integrative literature review, of a qualitative nature, works that corresponded to the eligibility criteria were selected, totaling 16 articles included in this review.
Results:
of the patients who manifested gastrointestinal symptoms associated with the disease, common comorbidities and clinical manifestations were identified, in addition to therapies used to treat the infection, which were predisposing factors for the development of gastrointestinal bleeding.
Conclusion:
The presence of gastrointestinal bleeding in patients with COVID-19 is established in the literature, since the pathophysiological mechanisms of the disease directly affect the GIT. Early recognition of symptoms and suspicion of gastrointestinal involvement allows better management of patients and complications.
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