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Semin Thromb Hemost 2020; 46(07): 781-784
DOI: 10.1055/s-0040-1712156
Commentary

Coronavirus Disease 2019 Coagulopathy: Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation and Thrombotic Microangiopathy—Either, Neither, or Both

Marcel Levi
1   Department of Medicine, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
2   NIHR UCLH/UCL Biomedical Research Centre, London, United Kingdom
,
Jecko Thachil
3   Department of Haematology, Manchester Royal Infirmary, Manchester, United Kingdom
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Patients with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections manifest coagulation abnormalities that have been associated with respiratory deterioration and death.[1] [2] In addition, many patients with severe COVID-19 infections develop venous thromboembolism, which seems to be related to the coagulopathy.[3] It has also been suggested that undiagnosed pulmonary embolism contributes to a sudden deterioration of pulmonary oxygen exchange that is sometimes seen in patients with COVID-19 infections.[4] [5]

The coagulopathy associated with COVID-19 mimics other systemic coagulopathies that are regularly seen in severe infections, such as disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) or thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA).[6] [7] [8] However, at the same time, the clinical and laboratory characteristics of the coagulation changes in COVID-19 are distinctly different from the common presentation of these conditions.



Publication History

Article published online:
08 June 2020

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