Can Lung Ultrasound be Used to Screen for Pulmonary Embolism in Patients with SARS-CoV-2 Pneumonia?

Andrea Boccatonda; Eugenia Ianniello; Damiano D'Ardes; Giulio Cocco; Fabrizio Giostra; Claudio Borghi; Cosima Schiavone

doi:10.12890/2020_001748

Can Lung Ultrasound be Used to Screen for Pulmonary Embolism in Patients with SARS-CoV-2 Pneumonia?

Eur J Case Rep Intern Med. 2020 Jun 4;7(7):001748. doi: 10.12890/2020_001748. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Andrea Boccatonda^{1

2}, Eugenia Ianniello³, Damiano D'Ardes², Giulio Cocco², Fabrizio Giostra¹, Claudio Borghi³, Cosima Schiavone²

Affiliations

¹ Medicina d'Urgenza e Pronto Soccorso, Policlinico Sant'Orsola-Malpighi, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
² Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine and Science of Aging, 'G. D'Annunzio' University, Chieti, Italy.
³ Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.

Abstract

Thromboembolic disease is strongly associated with, or even an integral part of, COVID-19 pneumonia. Indeed, endothelial/microvascular damage to pulmonary capillaries seems to be the main trigger of the pneumonia. Here we report a case of pulmonary embolism in a COVID-19 patient with an atypical clinical presentation. Blood gas analysis and lung ultrasound allowed the correct diagnosis to be reached.

Learning points: COVID-19 pneumonia is associated with cardiovascular complications and pulmonary embolisms.Lung ultrasound can aid diagnosis by visualizing small peripheral pulmonary embolisms.

Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; pulmonary embolism; ultrasound.