ABSTRACT
While in labor, a 37-year-old woman developed acute dyspnea, hypoxemia, and tachycardia. Transthoracic echocardiography demonstrated severe right ventricular dilation and dysfunction, raising the suspicion of acute pulmonary embolism. The patient indeed had bilateral pulmonary embolism, necessitating percutaneous thrombectomy. Her course was complicated by another saddle pulmonary embolus, heparin-induced thrombocytopenia, and COVID-19 infection. This clinical case illustrates the importance of prompt diagnosis of acute pulmonary embolism in a peripartum female patient, the multidisciplinary approach of management, and how to approach clinical complications such as heparin-induced thrombocytopenia. Furthermore, long-term management in acute pulmonary embolism is presented.
ABSTRACT
A COVID-19-positive patient presented with pleuritic chest pain and cough and was found to have acute pulmonary embolisms (APEs). There has been an increase in observational reports of venous thromboembolic events in patients who are positive for COVID-19, especially in the setting of elevated inflammatory markers. The possibility of COVID-19 as an independent risk factor for APEs should be further explored in this novel pandemic.