Difficulties of Managing Submassive and Massive Pulmonary Embolism in the Era of COVID-19

Alexandru Marginean; Dalila Masic; Yevgeniy Brailovsky; Jawed Fareed; Amir Darki

doi:10.1016/j.jaccas.2020.05.017

Difficulties of Managing Submassive and Massive Pulmonary Embolism in the Era of COVID-19

JACC Case Rep. 2020 Jul 15;2(9):1383-1387. doi: 10.1016/j.jaccas.2020.05.017. Epub 2020 May 19.

Authors

Alexandru Marginean¹, Dalila Masic², Yevgeniy Brailovsky³, Jawed Fareed⁴, Amir Darki¹

Affiliations

¹ Loyola University Medical Center, Department of Cardiology, Maywood, Illinois.
² Loyola University Medical Center, Department of Pharmacy, Maywood, Illinois.
³ Columbia University Medical Center, Department of Cardiology, New York, New York.
⁴ Loyola University Medical Center, Department of Pathology, Maywood, Illinois.

Abstract

Acute pulmonary embolism (PE) is a potentially life-threatening manifestation of venous thromboembolic disease. Severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2, a novel coronavirus that causes coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19), has been associated with an increased risk of thrombosis. We describe the therapeutic challenges of 3 patients presenting with PE and suspected or confirmed COVID-19. (Level of Difficulty: Beginner.).

Keywords: ARDS, acute respiratory distress syndrome; CDT, catheter-directed thrombolysis; PE, pulmonary embolism; PUI, patient under investigation; RV, right ventricular; RV/LV, right ventricular to left ventricular diameter ratio; TTE, transthoracic echocardiography; UFH, unfractionated heparin; anticoagulation; computed tomography; pulmonary circulation; right ventricle; thrombus.

Publication types

Case Reports