Since the discovery of the novel coronavirus (SARS-Co-V-2) in December 2019, multiple characteristics have been reported, as our understanding of this new disease unfolds. One such association is its tendency to cause thromboembolic events, particularly venous thromboembolism (1,2). In a four-week period during the initial spread of COVID-19 at a 300 bed community hospital in western Massachusetts, 23 patients who were PCR positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA required treatment in either the intensive care unit (ICU) or intermediate/step-down unit (SDU). All patients were treated with standard DVT prophylaxis from the time of admission, except for two patients who were on full anticoagulation for chronic atrial fibrillation. Of the 23 patients, 7 (30%) were diagnosed with acute, clinically significant, pulmonary embolism (PE). Four of the 7 manifested evidence of acute cor pulmonale, one of whom succumbed as a direct consequence of a massive PE. Other markers were reviewed in the 7 patients to identify trends that could allow for early suspicion of PE in COVID-19 patients. Although D-dimer tended to rise during the hospitalization relative to the control group, the results were inconsistent, and there were no other meaningful distinguishing features between the groups at the time of admission.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.