Surgical Treatment of Another Sequalae of COVID-19: Post-COVID CTEPH.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is still an ongoing entity and every day we face new sequalae of the disease. We hereby present surgical results of patients who are treated for post-COVID chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension. METHODS: Data were collected among patients who underwent pulmonary endarterectomy and had a diagnosis of post-COVID chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension. All data were retrospectively reviewed from a prospectively conducted database. Operative mortality was described as death in hospital or within 30 days of surgery. RESULTS: Eleven patients (seven males, four females; median age, 52 [22-63] years) were identified. Pulmonary vascular resistance improved significantly from 572 dyn/s/cm-5 (240-1,192) to 240 (195-377) dyn/s/cm-5 (p < 0.005). Significant difference was also detected in median mPAP, as it decreased from 40 mm Hg (24-54) to 24 mm Hg (15-36) following surgery (p < 0.005). Mortality was observed in one patient due to sepsis on the fifth postoperative day. Median time from COVID-19 disease to surgery was 12 months (6-24). Median length of hospital stay of the survivors was 10 days (8-14). CONCLUSIONS: In the new era of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension, hybrid approach including surgery, balloon pulmonary angioplasty, and medical treatment has been recommended. pulmonary endarterectomy is still the only curative treatment when the disease is surgically accessible. We hereby report the first publication of post-COVID chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension patients who were surgically treated. As we see a lot of long-term symptoms and clinical manifestations in patients who had COVID-19, we should always remember chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension in the differential diagnosis.

[Consensus Report from Turkish Society of Cardiology: COVID-19 and Cardiovascular Diseases. What cardiologists should know. (25th March 2020)]. / Türk Kardiyoloji Dernegi Uzlasi Raporu: COVID-19 Pandemisi ve Kardiyovasküler Hastaliklar Konusunda Bilinmesi Gerekenler (25 Mart 2020).

In December 2019, in the city of Wuhan, in the Hubei province of China, treatment-resistant cases of pneumonia emerged and spread rapidly for reasons unknown. A new strain of coronavirus (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 [SARS-CoV-2]) was identified and caused the first pandemic of the 21st century. The virus was officially detected in our country on March 11, 2020, and the number of cases increased rapidly; the virus was isolated in 670 patients within 10 days. The rapid increase in the number of patients has required our physicians to learn to protect both the public and themselves when treating patients with this highly infectious disease. The group most affected by the outbreak and with the highest mortality rate is elderly patients with known cardiovascular disease. Therefore, it is necessary for cardiology specialists to take an active role in combating the epidemic. The aim of this article is to make a brief assessment of current information regarding the management of cardiovascular patients affected by COVID-19 and to provide practical suggestions to cardiology specialists about problems and questions they have frequently encountered.

[Turkish Cardiology Association Consensus Report: COVID-19 Pandemic and Cardiovascular Diseases (May 13, 2020)]. / Türk Kardiyoloji Dernegi Uzlasi Raporu: COVID-19 Pandemisi ve Kardiyovasküler Hastaliklar Konusunda Bilinmesi Gerekenler (13 Mayis 2020).

In December 2019, in the city of Wuhan, in the Hubei province of China, treatment-resistant cases of pneumonia emerged and spread rapidly for reasons unknown. A new strain of coronavirus (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 [SARS-CoV-2]) was identified and caused the first pandemic of the 21st century. The virus was officially detected in our country on March 11, 2020, and the number of cases increased rapidly; the virus was isolated in 670 patients within 10 days. The rapid increase in the number of patients has required our physicians to learn to protect both the public and themselves when treating patients with this highly infectious disease. The group most affected by the outbreak and with the highest mortality rate is elderly patients with known cardiovascular disease. Therefore, it is necessary for cardiology specialists to take an active role in combating the epidemic. The aim of this article is to make a brief assessment of current information regarding the management of cardiovascular patients affected by COVID-19 and to provide practical suggestions to cardiology specialists about problems and questions they have frequently encountered.

A case of heart failure mimicking COVID-19 pneumonia: The role of clinical and chest computed tomography findings in the differential diagnosis.

Acute heart failure (HF) is one of the most common cardiac emergencies. Pulmonary edema caused by HF may mimic an exudative disease on chest computed tomography scans. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) emerged in China in December 2019 and quickly spread around the world. During this pandemic period, the need to exclude the possibility of COVID-19 pneumonia in patients with acute dyspnea may cause a delay in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with acutely decompensated HF who have similar symptoms. This case report describes a diabetic patient admitted with dyspnea one week after she suffered an acute myocardial infarction. The objective of this report is to draw attention to the differential diagnosis of HF and COVID-19 pneumonia.