Management of upper GI bleeding in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia

Abstract

Drs An, Huang, and Wan contributed equally and are joint first authors.

Acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding during the COVID-19 pandemic – less is more!

“…Further, active respiratory infection (such as COVID-19) increases the risk of procedures requiring sedation. A recent report demonstrated successful conservative management in six patients with upper GI bleeding (UGIB) [3]; however, to our knowledge there are no reports on COVID-19 patients with LGIB. A total of 11 COVID-19 patients who developed LGIB from two tertiary care hospitals in Boston were evaluated.…”

Intraoperative coagulopathy during cesarean section as an unsuspected initial presentation of COVID-19: a case report

“…Case reports have documented such findings as a hemorrhage within the basal ganglia and upper gastrointestinal bleeds among patients with COVID. [4,5] Another study discusses hemorrhage and petechiae as an initial presentation of COVID, leading providers to initially misdiagnose the patient with dengue. [6] It is possible that COVID may likewise present in the form of an intrapartum coagulopathy, as suggested by the persistent oozing in this case.…”

Regarding: LuiRN, WongSH, Sánchez‐LunaSA, et al. Overview of guidance for endoscopy during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. J. Gastroenterol. Hepatol.2020;35(5):749–759. https://doi.org/10.1111/jgh.15053

“…These findings are similar to those of the recent report of six patients with COVID-19 in New York City, in whom none required endoscopy and GIB resolved in all patients conservatively. 2 As mentioned by the authors, the throughput of the endoscopy units was inevitable reduced. Our typical monthly procedures are approximately 1840 cases.…”