WEDNESDAY, May 19, 2021 (HealthDay News) – Researchers have reported the first case of COVID-19, which causes dangerous, recurring blood clots in a patient’s arm.
The report offers new insights into how the inflammatory damage caused by COVID-19 can persist and how best to treat recurrent blood clots, according to Rutgers University researchers.
There have been reports of lower extremity blood clots in post-COVID-19 patients, but this is the first known case of COVID-19 causing the upper arm to recur.
The patient was an active 85 year old male previously diagnosed with upper extremity blood clots. This is evident from the study recently published online in the journal Viruses.
“The patient presented to his GP with complaints of swelling in his left arm and was taken to the hospital for further treatment, where he was diagnosed with an upper arm blood clot and asymptomatic COVID-19 infection,” said study co-lead Payal Parikh , Assistant Professor of Medicine at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Jersey.
“While his oxygen levels were not lowered, he was hospitalized for treatment for upper extremity deep blood clots. Blood clots are often preceded by chronic inflammatory conditions made worse by immobility and rarely occur in patients who are otherwise healthy and at baseline active, “stated Parikh in a Rutgers press release.
Most deep venous clots occur in the legs. Only about 10% of blood clots occur in the arms, and of those cases, only 9% recur, the study authors found.
“This is worrying because in 30% of these patients the blood clot can get into the lungs and potentially be fatal,” Parikh said. “Other disabling complications include persistent swelling, pain, and arm fatigue.”
This case study shows that health care providers should consider testing for deep vein thrombosis and COVID-19 in patients with unexplained swelling, and that people who test positive for COVID-19 should see a doctor if their oxygen levels and breathlessness drop, and anyone unexplained swelling, advised Parikh.
“If you have been previously diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis or if you have a chronic disease that predisposes you to blood clots, you are at greater risk of recurrence of deep vein thrombus if you develop COVID-19 and you should therefore be vigilant,” Said Parikh.
More information
The American Society of Hematology is more concerned with blood clots.
SOURCE: Rutgers University, press release, May 15, 2021
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