Why are COVID-19 patients hypercoagulant? A link to endothelial dysfunction.

Thromb Haemost. 2020 Apr 21.

COVID-19-Related Severe Hypercoagulability in Patients Admitted to Intensive Care Unit for Acute Respiratory Failure.

Spiezia L1, Boscolo A2, Poletto F1, Cerruti L1, Tiberio I3, Campello E1, Navalesi P2, Simioni P1.

Author information

1 General Internal Medicine and Thrombotic and Haemorrhagic Diseases Unit, Department of Medicine, Padua University Hospital, Padua, Italy.

2 Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Unit, Department of Medicine, Padua University Hospital, Padua, Italy.

3 Intensive Care Central Unit, Department of Medicine, Padua University Hospital, Padua, Italy.

Abstract

In late December 2019 an outbreak of a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) causing severe pneumonia (COVID-19) was reported in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. A common finding in most COVID-19 patients is high D-dimer levels which are associated with a worse prognosis. We aimed to evaluate coagulation abnormalities via traditional tests and whole blood thromboelastometry profiles in a group of 22 (mean age 67 ± 8 years, M:F 20:2) consecutive patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of Padova University Hospital for acute respiratory failure due to COVID-19. Cases showed significantly higher fibrinogen and D-dimer plasma levels versus healthy controls (p < 0.0001 in both comparisons). Interestingly enough, markedly hypercoagulable thromboelastometry profiles were observed in COVID-19 patients, as reflected by shorter Clot Formation Time (CFT) in INTEM (p = 0.0002) and EXTEM (p = 0.01) and higher Maximum Clot Firmness (MCF) in INTEM, EXTEM and FIBTEM (p < 0.001 in all comparisons). In conclusion, COVID-19 patients with acute respiratory failure present a severe hypercoagulability rather than consumptive coagulopathy. Fibrin formation and polymerization may predispose to thrombosis and correlate with a worse outcome.

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