Fibrinolytic and Anticoagulant Therapy in COVID-19 Associated Pulmonary Embolism: A Case Report
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24843/JATI.2025.v01.i02.p04Keywords:
anticoagulant, Covid 19, Fibrinolytic, hemorrage, thromboembolismAbstract
Pulmonary thromboembolism is a complication that can occur in coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). Efforts to prevent and therapy for thromboembolism have been a challenge to this date. The side effects of fibrinolytic, anticoagulant, and platelet anti-aggregation therapies, such as hemorrhage, are some of the causes of morbidity and mortality that must be addressed immediately. In this case, the patient received prophylaxis with the anticoagulant enoxaparin and platelet anti-aggregation agents with aspirin and clopidogrel. The COVID-19 patient presented a complication of pulmonary thromboembolism that was established using a computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) performed on his third day of care (day 14 of onset treatment) due to the patient’s clinical aggravation of pulmonary manifestation. After fibrinolytic therapy had been given, the patient’s clinical condition improved. However, on the 7th day after the provision of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (r-TPA), the patient experienced a side effect of hemorrhage, and management was undertaken to address these issues by transfusions of blood components, such as cryoprecipitates, thrombocyte concentrate, fresh frozen plasma, and packed red cell. Thromboembolism occurring in COVID-19 patients is based on the Virchow triad concept, comprising endothelial injury, static blood flow, and hypercoagulation. The principle of prevention and management of thromboembolism refers to this concept. Currently, further studies are required to treat thromboembolism and the side effects of fibrinolytic and anticoagulant therapies on COVID-19 patients.
Downloads
References
1. Mondal S, Quintili AL, Karamchandani K, Bose S. Thromboembolic disease in COVID-19 patients: A brief narrative review. J Intensive Care. 2020;8(1):1–10.
2. Akel T, Qaqa F, Abuarqoub A, Shamoon F. Pulmonary embolism: A complication of COVID 19 infection. Thromb Res [Internet]. 2020;193(June):79–82.
3. Rotzinger DC, Beigelman-Aubry C, von Garnier C, Qanadli SD. Pulmonary embolism in patients with COVID-19: Time to change the paradigm of computed tomography. Thromb Res [Internet]. 2020;190(April):58–9.
4. Castelli R, Gidaro A. Abnormal Hemostatic Parameters and Risk of Thromboembolism Among Patients With COVID-19 Infection. J Hematol. 2020;9(1–2):1–4.
5. Sakr Y, Giovini M, Leone M, Pizzilli G, Kortgen A, Bauer M, et al. Pulmonary embolism in patients with coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia: a narrative review. Ann Intensive Care [Internet]. 2020;10(1).
6. Asakura H, Ogawa H. Perspective on fibrinolytic therapy in COVID-19: The potential of inhalation therapy against suppressed-fibrinolytic-type DIC. J Intensive Care. 2020;8(1):8–11.
7. Bompard F, Monnier H, Saab I, Tordjman M, Abdoul H, Fournier L, et al. Pulmonary embolism in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. Eur Respir J. 2020;56(1):17–20.
8. Scudiero F, Silverio A, Di Maio M, Russo V, Citro R, Personeni D, et al. Pulmonary embolism in COVID-19 patients: Prevalence, predictors and clinical outcome. Thromb Res. 2021;198(October 2020):34–9.
9. Xu H, Martin A, Singh A, Narasimhan M, Lau J, Weinberg M, et al. Pulmonary Embolism in Patients Hospitalized With COVID-19 (From a New York Health System). Am J Cardiol [Internet]. 2020;133:148–53.
10. Salem N, Atallah B, El Nekidy WS, Sadik ZG, Park WM, Mallat J. Thromboelastography findings in critically ill COVID-19 patients. J Thromb Thrombolysis [Internet]. 2020;(0123456789).
11. Price LC, Garfield B, Bleakley C, Keeling AGM, Mcfadyen C, McCabe C, et al. Rescue therapy with thrombolysis in patients with severe COVID-19-associated acute respiratory distress syndrome. Pulm Circ. 2020;10(4):1–5.
12. Bornstein R, Páramo JA. Can fibrinolytic therapy be clinically useful in severe pneumonia caused by COVID-19? J Thromb Thrombolysis [Internet]. 2020;(0123456789):20–3.
13. Willim HA, Hardigaloeh AT, Supit AI. Koagulopati pada Coronavirus Disease -2019 ( COVID-19 ): Tinjauan pustaka. 2020;11(3):749–56.
14. Vivas D, Roldán V, Esteve-Pastor MA, Roldán I, Tello-Montoliu A, Ruiz-Nodar JM, et al. Recommendations on antithrombotic treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic. Position statement of the Working Group on Cardiovascular Thrombosis of the Spanish Society of Cardiology. Rev Esp Cardiol. 2020;73(9):749–57.
15. George, Yohanes W. H.; Cindryani, Marilaeta1. Possible Associations between Central Venous Pressure, D-Dimer, and Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index in COVID-19 Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Patients. Bali Journal of Anesthesiology 5(3):p 208-211, Jul–Sep 2021. | DOI: 10.4103/bjoa.bjoa_6_21
16. Omarjee L, Meilhac O, Perrot F, Janin A, Mahe G. Can Ticagrelor be used to prevent sepsis-induced coagulopathy in COVID-19? Clin Immunol [Internet]. 2020;216(May):108468.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Putu Eka Nantha Kusuma, I Made Prema Putra, I Gusti Ngurah Mahaalit Aribawa (Author)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal the right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0) that allows others to share, use, distribute, and reproduce the work in any medium, provided the original author and source are properly credited.



