Pulmonary Embolism and Cardiac Tamponade in Critical Care Patients with COVID-19; Telemedicine’s Role in Developing Countries: Case Reports and Literature Review
| Author | Islam Mohammed Sheata | en |
| Author | Scott Richard Smith | en |
| Author | Heba Kamel | en |
| Author | Giustino Varrassi | en |
| Author | Farnad Imani | en |
| Author | Abdolreza Dayani | en |
| Author | Dariusz Myrcik | en |
| Author | Ivan Urits | en |
| Author | Omar Viswanath | en |
| Author | Sameh Salem Taha | en |
| Orcid | Farnad Imani [0000-0003-0814-0772] | en |
| Orcid | Abdolreza Dayani [0000-0001-6114-4911] | en |
| Orcid | Ivan Urits [0000-0002-3652-6085] | en |
| Orcid | Omar Viswanath [0000-0002-6124-7037] | en |
| Issued Date | 2021-04-07 | en |
| Abstract | Introduction: In this study, two cases that demonstrate the importance of bedside echocardiography and hands-off telemedicine technology for diagnosis and intervention in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are discussed. Case Presentation: We report two cases of cardiac emergency associated with COVID-19. Case 1 is a 50-year-old female patient with chronic hypertension and chronic renal failure. Case 2 is a 64-year-old female with atrial fibrillation and recent stroke. Both were admitted to an isolation intensive care unit that was designated specifically to patients with COVID-19. Conclusions: During admission, both patients had sudden deterioration characterized by oxygen desaturation and hypotension necessitating inotropic support. As a result, for both patients, bedside echocardiography was performed by the attending intensivist. Echocardiographic findings showed cardiac tamponade and acute pulmonary embolism, respectively, which were confirmed by a cardiologist through telemedicine technology. Proper emergency management was initiated, and both patients recovered well. Limited bedside transthoracic echocardiography had a front-line impact on the treatment and outcome of the two patients with COVID-19. By implementing telemedicine technology, the lives of two patients were saved, demonstrating the significance of telemedicine in isolation intensive care units in the developing countries during the COVID-19 pandemic. | en |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.5812/aapm.113752 | en |
| Keyword | Cardiac Tamponade | en |
| Keyword | COVID-19 | en |
| Keyword | Limited Echocardiography | en |
| Keyword | Pulmonary Embolism | en |
| Keyword | Telemedicine | en |
| Publisher | Brieflands | en |
| Title | Pulmonary Embolism and Cardiac Tamponade in Critical Care Patients with COVID-19; Telemedicine’s Role in Developing Countries: Case Reports and Literature Review | en |
| Type | Case Report | en |