Inflammatory and Hemostatic Markers in COVID-19 Patients with Arterial Thrombosis Are Significantly Lower at Hospital Admission than in COVID-19 Patients without Thrombosis.

Patients with Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are at increased risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE); however, data on arterial thromboembolism (ATE) is still limited. We report a case series of thromboembolic events (TE) in 290 COVID-19 patients admitted between October and December 2020 to a Portuguese hospital. Admission levels of various laboratory parameters were evaluated and compared between COVID-19 patients with (TE) and without thrombotic events (non-TE). The overall incidence of isolated ATE was 5.52%, isolated VTE was 2.41% and multiple mixed events was 0.7%. A total of 68% events were detected upon admission to the hospital with 76% corresponding to ATE. Admissions to the Intensive Care Unit were higher in patients with TE, when comparing with the non-TE group (44% vs. 27.2%; p = 0.003). Patients with ATE presented significantly lower levels of CRP (p = 0.007), ferritin (p = 0.045), LDH (p = 0.037), fibrinogen (p = 0.010) and higher monocyte counts (p = 0.033) comparatively to the non-TE patients. These results point to an early occurrence of TE and an increased incidence of ATE over VTE. The less prominent inflammation markers in patients with TE and the early presence of TE in patients with otherwise no reason for hospitalization, may suggest a direct role of SARS-CoV-2 in the thrombotic process.

[Guidelines on: COVID-19 Vaccine Induced Thrombosis, Bleeding, and Thrombocytopenia]. / Trombose, Hemorragia e Trombocitopenia Induzidas pelas Vacinas contra a COVID-19: Protocolo de Atuação.

After widespread vaccination with COVID-19 vaccines, there have been worldwide reports on thrombosis, bleeding, and thrombocytopenia. Recently, a rare syndrome with a high mortality rate consisting of an unusual combination of thrombocytopenia and thrombosis, in particular cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, which clinically resembles heparin-induced thrombocytopenia, was reported following vaccination. Different statements and recommendations were developed regarding the definition, diagnosis, and treatment of these rare complications. We present here a protocol with recommendations, based on current evidence.

Após a generalização da vacinação contra a COVID-19, foram relatados efeitos adversos como trombose, hemorragia e trombocitopenia. Recentemente, após vacinação, foi reconhecido um síndrome raro e com mortalidade elevada, caraterizado por uma combinação não usual de trombocitopenia e trombose, em particular trombose dos seios venosos cerebrais, com muitas semelhanças com a trombocitopenia induzida pela heparina. Foram desenvolvidas diferentes recomendações na definição, diagnóstico e tratamento destas raras complicações. Apresentamos aqui, um protocolo de atuação baseado na evidência atual.