COVID-19 Vaccine-Induced Thrombotic Thrombocytopaenia With Venous and Arterial Thrombosis: A Case Report.

Coronavirus disease 19 pandemic has put tremendous pressure on health systems and has caused significant morbidity and mortality throughout the world. Vaccination program against COVID-19 has been effective despite repeated outbreaks across the globe. It was however reported that COVID-19 vaccines in particular, the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine (AZD1222) was temporarily suspended by some European countries due to risk of thrombosis. COVID-19 is a prothrombotic condition and is associated with venous thromboembolism mainly. The condition can be challenging to diagnose due to its diagnostic variation. Cases of vaccine-induced thrombotic thrombocytopaenia has been reported in several countries. COVID-19 can also cause vaccine-induced thrombosis without thrombocytopaenia. The thrombotic events can affect different parts of the body including brain, heart, and peripheral vessels. We present a case of 54-year-old patient who presented with chest and abdominal pain for 12 hours and evidence of infero-lateral ST segment elevation on electrocardiogram. Patient received COVID-19 AstraZeneca vaccine 10 days prior to admission. Coronary angiography (CAG) showed occlusion of the proximal to mid part of the right coronary artery (RCA) distal to a large Right Ventricular branch with high thrombotic burden and multiple attempts at aspiration of the thrombus resulted in partial restoration of the flow to right coronary artery.

COVID-19 Vaccine-Induced Thrombotic Thrombocytopaenia With Venous and Arterial Thrombosis: A Case Report

Coronavirus disease 19 pandemic has put tremendous pressure on health systems and has caused significant morbidity and mortality throughout the world. Vaccination program against COVID-19 has been effective despite repeated outbreaks across the globe. It was however reported that COVID-19 vaccines in particular, the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine (AZD1222) was temporarily suspended by some European countries due to risk of thrombosis. COVID-19 is a prothrombotic condition and is associated with venous thromboembolism mainly. The condition can be challenging to diagnose due to its diagnostic variation. Cases of vaccine-induced thrombotic thrombocytopaenia has been reported in several countries. COVID-19 can also cause vaccine-induced thrombosis without thrombocytopaenia. The thrombotic events can affect different parts of the body including brain, heart, and peripheral vessels. We present a case of 54-year-old patient who presented with chest and abdominal pain for 12 hours and evidence of infero-lateral ST segment elevation on electrocardiogram. Patient received COVID-19 AstraZeneca vaccine 10 days prior to admission. Coronary angiography (CAG) showed occlusion of the proximal to mid part of the right coronary artery (RCA) distal to a large Right Ventricular branch with high thrombotic burden and multiple attempts at aspiration of the thrombus resulted in partial restoration of the flow to right coronary artery.

Intralesional delivery of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors in acute myocardial infarction: Review and recommendations.

Plaque rupture leads to a cascade of events culminating in collagen disruption, tissue factor release, platelet activation and thrombus formation. Pro-inflammatory conditions, hyperglycemia and smoking predispose to high thrombus burden (HTB) which is an independent predictor of slow or no-reflow. In patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors (GPI) reduce thrombus burden and improve myocardial perfusion. These agents are typically administered systemically via the intravenous route or locally via an intracoronary (IC) route. However, as higher local concentrations of GPI are associated with enhanced platelet inhibition, intralesional (IL) GPI administration may be particularly effective in cases of HTB. Modest-sized randomized trials comparing IL and IC GPI delivery have reported conflicting outcomes. Some trials have demonstrated improved coronary flow and myocardial perfusion with reduced major adverse cardiac events with IL compared with IC GPI administration, whereas others have shown no significant benefits. Furthermore, although no direct comparison has been made between IL delivery using an aspiration catheter, microcatheter or a dedicated balloon-based "weeping" infusion-catheter, improved outcomes have been most consistent following GPI administration at the site of the lesion and thrombus with the dedicated infusion catheter. This review provides an update on the role and outcomes of IL GPI administration in patients with AMI and HTB. Based on the evidence we offer an algorithm demonstrating when to consider IL administration in patients with AMI undergoing intervention. We conclude with a perspective on the management of patients with STEMI and COVID-19 in whom a prothrombotic state often results in HTB.

SARS-CoV-2 and Pre-existing Vascular Diseases: Guilt by Association?

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus-2 has rapidly spread and emerged as a pandemic. Although evidence on its pathophysiology is growing, there are still issues that should be taken into consideration, including its effects on pre-existing peripheral vascular disease. The aim of this review is to describe the thrombotic and endothelial dysfunctions caused by SARS-CoV-2, assess if cardiovascular comorbidities render an individual susceptible to the infection and determine the course of pre-existing vascular diseases in infected individuals. A search through MEDLINE, PubMed and EMBASE was conducted and more than 260 articles were identified and 97 of them were reviewed; the rest were excluded because they were not related to the aim of this study. Hypertension, cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus and cerebrovascular diseases comprised 24.30% ± 16.23%, 13.29% ± 12.88%, 14.82% ± 7.57% and 10.82% ± 11.64% of the cohorts reviewed, respectively. Arterial and venous thrombotic complications rocketed up to 31% in severely infected individuals in some studies. We suggest that hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and cerebrovascular diseases may render an individual susceptible to severe COVID-19 infection. Pre-existing vascular diseases are expected to deteriorate with SARS-CoV-2 infection as a consequence of its increased thrombotic burden and the development of endothelial dysfunction. COVID-19 has emerged only a few months ago and it is premature to predict the long-term effects to the vascular system. Its disturbances of the coagulation mechanisms and effects on vascular endothelium will likely provoke a surge of vascular complications in the coming months.

International Prospective Registry of Acute Coronary Syndromes in Patients With COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: Published data suggest worse outcomes in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients and concurrent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection. Mechanisms remain unclear. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to report the demographics, angiographic findings, and in-hospital outcomes of COVID-19 ACS patients and compare these with pre-COVID-19 cohorts. METHODS: From March 1, 2020 to July 31, 2020, data from 55 international centers were entered into a prospective, COVID-ACS Registry. Patients were COVID-19 positive (or had a high index of clinical suspicion) and underwent invasive coronary angiography for suspected ACS. Outcomes were in-hospital major cardiovascular events (all-cause mortality, re-myocardial infarction, heart failure, stroke, unplanned revascularization, or stent thrombosis). Results were compared with national pre-COVID-19 databases (MINAP [Myocardial Ischaemia National Audit Project] 2019 and BCIS [British Cardiovascular Intervention Society] 2018 to 2019). RESULTS: In 144 ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and 121 non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS) patients, symptom-to-admission times were significantly prolonged (COVID-STEMI vs. BCIS: median 339.0 min vs. 173.0 min; p < 0.001; COVID NSTE-ACS vs. MINAP: 417.0 min vs. 295.0 min; p = 0.012). Mortality in COVID-ACS patients was significantly higher than BCIS/MINAP control subjects in both subgroups (COVID-STEMI: 22.9% vs. 5.7%; p < 0.001; COVID NSTE-ACS: 6.6% vs. 1.2%; p < 0.001), which remained following multivariate propensity analysis adjusting for comorbidities (STEMI subgroup odds ratio: 3.33 [95% confidence interval: 2.04 to 5.42]). Cardiogenic shock occurred in 20.1% of COVID-STEMI patients versus 8.7% of BCIS patients (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In this multicenter international registry, COVID-19-positive ACS patients presented later and had increased in-hospital mortality compared with a pre-COVID-19 ACS population. Excessive rates of and mortality from cardiogenic shock were major contributors to the worse outcomes in COVID-19 positive STEMI patients.

Outcomes following PCI in CABG candidates during the COVID-19 pandemic: The prospective multicentre UK-ReVasc registry.

OBJECTIVES: To describe outcomes following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients who would usually have undergone coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). BACKGROUND: In the United Kingdom, cardiac surgery for coronary artery disease (CAD) was dramatically reduced during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many patients with "surgical disease" instead underwent PCI. METHODS: Between 1 March 2020 and 31 July 2020, 215 patients with recognized "surgical" CAD who underwent PCI were enrolled in the prospective UK-ReVasc Registry (ReVR). 30-day major cardiovascular event outcomes were collected. Findings in ReVR patients were directly compared to reference PCI and isolated CABG pre-COVID-19 data from British Cardiovascular Intervention Society (BCIS) and National Cardiac Audit Programme (NCAP) databases. RESULTS: ReVR patients had higher incidence of diabetes (34.4% vs 26.4%, P = .008), multi-vessel disease with left main stem disease (51.4% vs 3.0%, P < .001) and left anterior descending artery involvement (94.8% vs 67.2%, P < .001) compared to BCIS data. SYNTAX Score in ReVR was high (mean 28.0). Increased use of transradial access (93.3% vs 88.6%, P = .03), intracoronary imaging (43.6% vs 14.4%, P < .001) and calcium modification (23.6% vs 3.5%, P < .001) was observed. No difference in in-hospital mortality was demonstrated compared to PCI and CABG data (ReVR 1.4% vs BCIS 0.7%, P = .19; vs NCAP 1.0%, P = .48). Inpatient stay was half compared to CABG (3.0 vs 6.0 days). Low-event rates in ReVR were maintained to 30-day follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: PCI undertaken using contemporary techniques produces excellent short-term results in patients who would be otherwise CABG candidates. Longer-term follow-up is essential to determine whether these outcomes are maintained over time.

Pulmonary thrombosis in Covid-19: before, during and after hospital admission.

Disordered coagulation, endothelial dysfunction, dehydration and immobility contribute to a substantially elevated risk of deep venous thrombosis, pulmonary embolism (PE) and systemic thrombosis in coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). We evaluated the prevalence of pulmonary thrombosis and reported RV (right ventricular) dilatation/dysfunction associated with Covid-19 in a tertiary referral Covid-19 centre. Of 370 patients, positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), 39 patients (mean age 62.3 ± 15 years, 56% male) underwent computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA), due to increasing oxygen requirements or refractory hypoxia, not improving on oxygen, very elevated D-dimer or tachycardia disproportionate to clinical condition. Thrombosis in the pulmonary vasculature was found in 18 (46.2%) patients. However, pulmonary thrombosis did not predict survival (46.2% survivors vs 41.7% non-survivors, p = 0.796), but RV dilatation was less frequent among survivors (11.5% survivors vs 58.3% non-survivors, p = 0.002). Over the following month, we observed four Covid-19 patients, who were admitted with high and intermediate-high risk PE, and we treated them with UACTD (ultrasound-assisted catheter-directed thrombolysis), and four further patients, who were admitted with PE up to 4 weeks after recovery from Covid-19. Finally, we observed a case of RV dysfunction and pre-capillary pulmonary hypertension, associated with Covid-19 extensive lung disease. We demonstrated that pulmonary thrombosis is common in association with Covid-19. Also, the thrombotic risk in the pulmonary vasculature is present before and during hospital admission, and continues at least up to four weeks after discharge, and we present UACTD for high and intermediate-high risk PE management in Covid-19 patients.

COVID-19 pandemic and STEMI: pathway activation and outcomes from the pan-London heart attack group.

OBJECTIVES: To understand the impact of COVID-19 on delivery and outcomes of primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI). Furthermore, to compare clinical presentation and outcomes of patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) with active COVID-19 against those without COVID-19. METHODS: We systematically analysed 348 STEMI cases presenting to the PPCI programme in London during the peak of the pandemic (1 March to 30 April 2020) and compared with 440 cases from the same period in 2019. Outcomes of interest included ambulance response times, timeliness of revascularisation, angiographic and procedural characteristics, and in-hospital clinical outcomes RESULTS: There was a 21% reduction in STEMI admissions and longer ambulance response times (87 (62-118) min in 2020 vs 75 (57-95) min in 2019, p<0.001), but that this was not associated with a delays in achieving revascularisation once in hospital (48 (34-65) min in 2020 vs 48 (35-70) min in 2019, p=0.35) or increased mortality (10.9% (38) in 2020 vs 8.6% (38) in 2019, p=0.28). 46 patients with active COVID-19 were more thrombotic and more likely to have intensive care unit admissions (32.6% (15) vs 9.3% (28), OR 5.74 (95%CI 2.24 to 9.89), p<0.001). They also had increased length of stay (4 (3-9) days vs 3 (2-4) days, p<0.001) and a higher mortality (21.7% (10) vs 9.3% (28), OR 2.72 (95% CI 1.25 to 5.82), p=0.012) compared with patients having PPCI without COVID-19. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that PPCI pathways can be maintained during unprecedented healthcare emergencies but confirms the high mortality of STEMI in the context of concomitant COVID-19 infection characterised by a heightened state of thrombogenicity.

COVID-19 Infection and High Intracoronary Thrombus Burden.

Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) is an acute respiratory disease that has rapidly spread around the world and been declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization. Emerging evidence demonstrates a strong association with a pro-thrombotic state and we present the first patient admitted with COVID-19 and an inferior ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) with evidence of high intracoronary thrombus burden. We review the mechanism of the high thrombus burden, which may be driven by the significant cytokine storm, endothelial dysfunction, increase risk of coronary plaque rupture and hypercoagulability.