Peripheral vascular system thrombosis and COVID-19: A chilling revelation

• Main Authors: Syed Mohammed Ali Ahmed, C Saravanan Robinson, D N Sharmila, S K Balaji, Sudharsan Reddy Yalamuru
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2021-01-01
• Series: Indian Journal of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery
• Subjects: acute limb ischemia; covid-19; deep venous thrombosis
• Online Access: http://www.indjvascsurg.org/article.asp?issn=0972-0820;year=2021;volume=8;issue=3;spage=208;epage=212;aulast=Ali

Introduction: As the COVID-19 pandemic reaches, its zenith a worrying trend has been noticed of late, that is arterial and venous thrombosis in patients presenting with COVID-19. Arterial and venous thrombosis was found in patients with asymptomatic state to severe affliction and most of them had a delayed presentation. Materials and Methods: An observational study was carried out by the Department of Vascular Surgery, Madurai Medical College. There were around 15200 total admissions between March 15, 2020, to September 30, 2020, in corona specialty hospital and trauma care center affiliated to Madurai medical college, out of which: (1) Acute deep venous thrombosis (DVT) was seen in 349 patients. (2) Acute limb ischemia (ALI) was found in 75 patients, out of which 70 patients had lower limb involvement and 5 patients had upper limb involvement. (a) Class 3–50 patients. (b) Class 2b–15 patients, (c) Class 1–10 patients. (3) Acute mesenteric ischemia was seen in 8 patients. Conclusion: COVID-19 is associated with an increased incidence of arterial and venous thrombosis of peripheral vascular system wherein arterial thrombosis, presenting, as ALI is profound and has a multi fold increased incidence than in non-COVID-19 patients and venous thrombosis is much higher than the non COVID-19 state.