High incidence of venous thrombosis reported in severe COVID-19 patients

Researchers have found high prevalence of deep vein thrombosis among critical COVID-19 patients admitted in an intensive care unit in France. Read to know more about this serious health condition.

As COVID-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc all over the world, the virus is also becoming more and more dangerous day by day. In severe cases, patients infected with the novel coronavirus develop severe health complications like pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, cardiac injury, acute kidney injury, liver dysfunction, etc. Now, researchers have also found high incidence of deep vein thrombosis in patients with severe COVID-19. Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a common type of venous thrombosis. It occurs when a blood clot (thrombus) forms in the deep veins, usually in your legs.

Researchers from Centre Cardiologique du Nord, Saint-Denis, France, found high prevalence of deep vein thrombosis among critical COVID-19 patients admitted in an intensive care unit in Paris.

The study included 34 patients who were admitted to the ICU with severe COVID-19 pneumonia. All patients also had acute respiratory distress syndrome and required mechanical ventilation. Of the total patients, 65 per cent had deep vein thrombosis at the time of admission, and another five patients developed the condition at the time of repeat venous ultrasound. Bilateral deep vein clots were found to be present in over half of these patients. In some patients, the clot was found within the veins near the heart. Patients who developed deep vein thrombosis had a higher white cell count, lymphocyte count, and platelet count in peripheral blood compared to the other group.

The findings, published in the JAMA Network Open, suggested that critical COVID-19 patients may need systematic anticoagulant therapy to prevent vein thrombosis.

Deep vein thrombosis: Causes and risk factors

Deep vein thrombosis may result from certain medical conditions that prevents your blood from circulating or clotting normally. Injury to a vein, surgery, certain medications and limited movement are other causes of formation of blood clots in the deep veins. For example, deep vein thrombosis may develop when you're confined to bed or don't move for a long time after surgery or an accident. Here are some other factors that can increase your risk of developing deep vein thrombosis.

• Family history
• Pregnancy
• Taking birth control pills (oral contraceptives) or hormone replacement therapy
• Being overweight or obese
• Smoking
• Cancer
• Sitting for long periods of time
• Age people above 60 years at greater risk of deep vein thrombosis

Symptoms to watch out for

If you have deep vein thrombosis, you may notice swelling in the affected leg and feel pain. However, some patients may experience no symptoms at all. Deep vein thrombosis can lead to pulmonary embolism, a blockage of an artery in the lungs that can be life-threatening. This happens when the blood clots in your veins travel through your bloodstream and lodge in your lungs, blocking blood flow.

Some of the noticeable symptoms of deep vein thrombosis include:

• Swelling in the affected leg.
• Pain in your leg, such as cramping or soreness.
• Red or discoloured skin on the leg.
• Warmth feeling in the affected leg.

Measures to prevent blood clots in the veins

Some of the risk factors of deep vein thrombosis can prevented. Start with these lifestyle changes:

• If you smoke, quit it.
• If you're overweight, shed those extra kilos.
• Regular exercise can improve your overall health. Exercise is especially important for people who sit a lot or travel frequently to lower their risk of blood clots.

Avoid sitting for long hours. While sitting, don't cross your legs, it can hamper blood flow. If you have had surgery, try to get moving as soon as possible.