Increment of D-dimer Associated with Immune Thrombotic Thrombocytopenia in ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 Vaccinated Individuals.

AIM OF THE STUDY: Development of thrombocytopenia and thrombosis after administration of the ChAdox1 nCoV-19 (AstraZeneca-Oxford) vaccine has recently been described. This new condition is called vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT). Our objective was to summarize case reports on VITT with/without D-dimer increments in AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccinated individuals. DATA SOURCES: MEDLINE, PubMed, and Scopus databases were searched. STUDY SELECTION: Case series, case reports, letters to the editor; and abstracts of AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccinated patients with a clinical profile of thrombocytopenia (platelet count <150X10 3 /dL) and D-dimer determination, with or without thrombosis, and/or bleeding, and/or antibodies against platelet factor 4 (aPF4), were included. DATA EXTRACTION: Baseline risk factors, symptoms, physical signs; laboratory results, imaging findings, treatment; and outcome in patients with VITT reported in case series, were examined. DATA SYNTHESIS: Patients who developed VITT were more likely to be young women (ages 21 to 77) given the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine 5-14 days prior to presentation. Patients' signs, symptoms, and imaging findings were consistent with cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, or deep veins, lung, and other sites. Laboratory findings showed thrombocytopenia, low fibrinogen, and elevated D-dimer levels, while aPF4 was positive in most assays performed. Treatment was non-heparin anticoagulants, IV immunoglobulin, and steroids, as recommended by medical guidelines. CONCLUSIONS: Vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia is a rare complication with high morbidity, related to administration of the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine. Clinicians should prepare for early identification of patients with suspicious symptoms, and prompt treatment initiated to avoid catastrophic events. D-dimer determination is useful for surveillance of cases with suspected VITT.

Understanding SARS-CoV-2: an analysis of the current pandemic. / Para entender el SARS-CoV-2: un análisis de la pandemia actual.

In late December 2019, a group of patients with "atypical pneumonia" of viral etiology was reported in Wuhan, China. We now know that coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 that produces an acute disease with respiratory predilection and high contagiousness, whose origin is the result of natural selection between species. The World Health Organization declared this event as a public health emergency of global concern. The clinical presentation is diverse, from asymptomatic or mildly self-limiting upper respiratory tract disease to the development of severe and progressive interstitial pneumonia with the development of multiple organ failure and death. To date there is no specific treatment. Epidemiological measures of social distancing, hand washing and the use of personal protective equipment reduce the spread of this virus in the population. The aim of this review was to describe the existing information about SARS-CoV-2 and the COVID-19 pandemic, which allows health personnel to better understand the origin, epidemiology, clinical evolution, diagnosis, and current experimental treatments for this new disease. Therefore, it was carried out an evaluation of the bibliographic information with the terms coronavirus, COVID-19, and SARS-CoV-2 in the specialized databases in English and Spanish.

A fines de diciembre de 2019, se informó en Wuhan (China) sobre un grupo de pacientes con "neumonía atípica" de etiología viral. Ahora sabemos que la enfermedad por coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) es provocada por el nuevo coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, que produce una enfermedad aguda con predilección respiratoria y de elevada contagiosidad, cuyo origen es resultado de una selección natural entre especies. La Organización Mundial de la Salud declaró este evento como una emergencia de salud pública de interés global. La presentación clínica es diversa y se manifiesta en personas asintomáticas o con enfermedad leve autolimitada del tracto respiratorio superior hasta aquellas que desarrollan una neumonía intersticial progresiva y grave, con evolución a insuficiencia multiorgánica y muerte. No se cuenta a la fecha con tratamiento específico. Las medidas epidemiológicas de distanciamiento social, lavado de manos y uso de equipo de protección personal disminuyen la diseminación de este virus entre la población. Esta revisión tuvo la finalidad de hacer una descripción de la información existente acerca del SARS-CoV-2 y la pandemia de COVID-19 que permita al personal de salud comprender mejor el origen, la epidemiología, el cuadro clínico, el diagnóstico y los tratamientos experimentales actuales para esta nueva enfermedad, para lo cual se realizó una evaluación de la información bibliográfica con los términos coronavirus, COVID-19 y SARS-CoV-2 en las bases de datos especializadas en idioma inglés y español.