Pulmonary embolism or COVID-19 pneumonia? A case report.
Respirol Case Rep
; 11(4): e01121, 2023 Apr.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2252687
ABSTRACT
Pulmonary embolism (PE) is the most severe clinical presentation of venous thromboembolism (VTE), which can be challenging to diagnose due to its non-specific symptoms. The overlapping clinical symptoms of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and PE may make distinguishing between the two difficult. Thus, the diagnosis of PE may be delayed or missed, with grave consequences for the patient's outcome and safety. We herein present the case of a 63-year-old Iranian female admitted to our hospital showing symptoms of delirium superimposed on dementia. Soon after her admission, she developed a fever and respiratory symptoms. However, overestimating the likelihood of COVID-19 pneumonia and attributing the patient's symptoms to this disease led to a delayed diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary embolism, resulting in the patient's death. During the COVID-19 pandemic, a high index of suspicion is required for the timely diagnosis of PE, especially in patients with identifiable risk factors. This is specifically true for older patients who cannot express their symptoms due to neurocognitive disorders.
Full text:
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Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Type of study:
Case report
/
Prognostic study
Language:
English
Journal:
Respirol Case Rep
Year:
2023
Document Type:
Article
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