Detection of Pulmonary Embolism in Returning Travelers with Hypoxemic Pneumonia due to COVID-19 in Reunion Island.

Detection of Pulmonary Embolism in Returning Travelers with Hypoxemic Pneumonia due to COVID-19 in Reunion Island. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2020 Jul 01;: Authors: Larsen K, Coolen-Allou N, Masse L, Angelino A, Allyn J, Bruneau L, Maillot A, Lagrange-Xelot M, Vitry T, André M, Travers JY, Foch E, Allou N Abstract The aim of this study was to evaluate the occurrence of pulmonary embolism in returning travelers with hypoxemic pneumonia due to COVID-19. All returning travelers to Reunion Island with hypoxemic pneumonia due to COVID-19 underwent computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) and were included in the cohort. Thirty-five patients were returning travelers with hypoxemic pneumonia due to COVID-19 and had recently returned from one of the countries most affected by the COVID-19 outbreak (mainly from France and Comoros archipelago). Five patients (14.3%) were found to have pulmonary embolism and two (5.9%) were incidentally found to have deep vein thrombosis on CTPA. Patients with pulmonary embolism or deep vein thrombosis had higher D-dimer levels than those without pulmonary embolism or deep vein thrombosis (P = 0.04). Returning travelers with hypoxemic pneumonia due to COVID-19 should be systematically screened for pulmonary embolism. PMID: 32618261 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene - Category: Tropical Medicine Authors: Tags: Am J Trop Med Hyg Source Type: research