COVID-19 and thrombotic microangiopathies.

Severe COVID-19 can manifest as multiorgan dysfunction with pulmonary involvement being the most common and prominent. As more reports emerge in the literature, it appears that an exaggerated immune response in the form of unfettered complement activation and a cytokine storm may be a key driver of the widespread organ injury seen in this disease. In addition, these patients are also known to be hypercoagulable with a high rate of thrombosis and a higher-than-expected failure rate of anticoagulation. While macrovascular thrombosis is common in these individuals, the frequent finding of extensive microvascular thromboses in several series and case reports, raises the possibility of thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) as being a contributing factor in the thrombotic and multi-organ complications of the disease. If this is correct, rapidly identifying a TMA and treating the underlying pathophysiology may allow for better outcomes in these critically ill patients. To further explore this, we reviewed the published literature on COVID-19, looking for reports describing TMA-like presentations. We summarize our findings here along with a discussion about presentation, pathophysiology, and a suggested treatment algorithm.

Anticoagulation in COVID - 19: An Update.

The novel coronavirus disease, 2019 (COVID - 19) evolved as an unprecedented pandemic. The severe acute respiratory syndrome-corona virus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection has been associated with significantly deranged coagulation parameters and increased incidence of thrombotic events. Deranged coagulation parameters, such as D-dimers and fibrin degradation products, can indicate a poor prognosis, and their measurement will help stratify the patients according to the disease severity, need of intensive care unit admission, and prediction of the clinical course. Gaps in understanding the natural history of the disease cause difficulties in tailoring therapies and optimizing the management of patients. Lack of specific treatment further complicates this situation. While thrombotic events can cause significant morbidity and mortality in patients, a focused approach to the prevention and treatment of venous thromboembolism (VTE) can, to a great extent, decrease the disease burden caused by thrombotic diseases. Pharmacological prophylactic anticoagulants and mechanical therapies such as pneumatic compression devices can help prevent venous thromboembolism and other thrombotic events. Thrombotic events due to COVID-19, their prevention and management, are the focus of this paper, with the prospect of providing insights into this relatively unexplored area.