Clinical Characteristics of COVID-19 Patients with Acute Peripheral Arterial Occlusions

Abstract

Background: Even though arterial occlusions are not as frequent as venous thromboembolisms, they tend to be a serious manifestation of the COVID-19 disease followed with high mortality rate. The main aim of this article is to show that COVID-19 patients with a confirmed acute peripheral arterial occlusion have worse course of the disease and outcomes.

Methods: This study involved patients with acute peripheral arterial occlusion (n=90) treated in a time period from May, 16 2020 to April, 20 2023. The COVID-19 patients with confirmed acute peripheral and the control COVID-19 negative group. These two groups were compared according the course of acute peripheral arterial occlusion and treatment outcomes.

Main findings: In comparison with the COVID-19 negative group, the COVID-19 positive patients were significantly younger and showed significantly higher mortality rate, significantly greater incidence of rethrombosis events and significantly smaller incidence of cardiomyopathy and rhythm abnormalities. The full recovery rate was significantly higher in the control group. COVID patients were, prior to the verification of acute peripheral arterial occlusive events, taking significantly lower molecular weight heparin or some sort of an antithrombotic medication.

Principal conclusions: COVID positive patients have significantly higher rethrombosis rate, worse postoperative outcome and worse final outcome in comparison with the control group.