Pulmonary Embolism and Increased Levels of d-Dimer in Patients with Coronavirus Disease

Emerg Infect Dis. 2020 Aug;26(8):1941-1943. doi: 10.3201/eid2608.201477. Epub 2020 Apr 29.

Abstract

We report 3 patients with coronavirus disease who had a decline in respiratory status during their hospital course that responded well to intravenous steroids and interleukin-6 receptor antagonist therapy. These patients later showed development of persistent hypoxia with increased levels of d-dimer levels and were given a diagnosis of pulmonary embolisms.

Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; coronavirus disease; d-dimer; deep vein thrombosis; hypercoagulability; prophylaxis; pulmonary embolism; respiratory infections; sequelae; severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; thromboembolic; viruses.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Acute Disease
  • Aged
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / therapeutic use
  • Anticoagulants / therapeutic use
  • Betacoronavirus / drug effects
  • Betacoronavirus / pathogenicity*
  • Betacoronavirus / physiology
  • Biomarkers / blood
  • COVID-19
  • COVID-19 Testing
  • Clinical Laboratory Techniques / methods
  • Coronavirus Infections / complications*
  • Coronavirus Infections / diagnosis
  • Coronavirus Infections / drug therapy
  • Coronavirus Infections / virology
  • Cytokine Release Syndrome / complications*
  • Cytokine Release Syndrome / diagnosis
  • Cytokine Release Syndrome / drug therapy
  • Cytokine Release Syndrome / virology
  • Enoxaparin / therapeutic use
  • Female
  • Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Hypoxia / complications*
  • Hypoxia / diagnosis
  • Hypoxia / drug therapy
  • Hypoxia / virology
  • Male
  • Methylprednisolone Hemisuccinate / therapeutic use
  • Middle Aged
  • Pandemics
  • Pneumonia, Viral / complications*
  • Pneumonia, Viral / diagnosis
  • Pneumonia, Viral / drug therapy
  • Pneumonia, Viral / virology
  • Pulmonary Embolism / complications*
  • Pulmonary Embolism / diagnosis
  • Pulmonary Embolism / drug therapy
  • Pulmonary Embolism / virology
  • Rivaroxaban / therapeutic use
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized
  • Anticoagulants
  • Biomarkers
  • Enoxaparin
  • Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products
  • fibrin fragment D
  • Methylprednisolone Hemisuccinate
  • Rivaroxaban
  • tocilizumab