Tag Archives: SARS-CoV-2

Atypical Variant of Guillain Barre Syndrome in a Patient with COVID-19

Megan M. Lowery1, Muhammad Taimur Malik2, Joseph Seemiller2, Cynthia S. Tsai1

1 Pulmonary/Critical Care Medicine, Geisinger Medical Center, Danville PA, USA
2 Geisinger Neuroscience Institute, Geisinger Medical Center, Danville, PA, USA

DOI: 10.2478/jccm-2020-0038

Objective: A rare variant Miller Fisher Syndrome overlap with Guillain Barre Syndrome is described in an adult patient with SARS-COV-2 infection.
Case Presentation: The clinical course of a 45-year-old immunosuppressed man is summarized as a patient who developed ataxia, ophthalmoplegia, and areflexia after upper respiratory infection symptoms began. A nasopharyngeal swab was positive for COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction. He progressed to acute hypoxemic and hypercapnic respiratory failure requiring intubation and rapidly developed tetraparesis. Magnetic resonance imaging of the spine was consistent with Guillain Barre Syndrome. However, the clinical symptoms, along with positive anti-GQ1B antibodies, were consistent with Miller Fisher Syndrome and Guillain Barre Syndrome overlap. The patient required tracheostomy and had limited improvement in his significant neurological symptoms after several months.
Conclusions: The case demonstrates the severe neurological implications, prolonged recovery and implications in the concomitant respiratory failure of COVID-19 patients with neurological symptoms on the spectrum of disorders of Guillain Barre Syndrome.

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Anticoagulation in COVID – 19: An Update

Nishant R Tiwari1, Khalid I Khatib2, Subhal B Dixit3, Prajay K Rathore4, Sameer Melinkeri5, Abhijeet Ganapule6, Kapil S Borawake7, Ujwala Mhatre8

1 Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Medical College and Sassoon General Hospital, Pune, Maharashtra, India
2 Smt Kashibai Navale Medical College and General Hospital, Pune, India
3 Sanjeevan Hospital, Pune, India
4 Danbury Hospital, Danbury, USA
5 Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital and Research Centre, Pune, India
6 Niche Hematology Care, Kolhapur, India
7 Prayag Hospital, Pune, India
8 Nanavati Hospital, Mumbai, India

DOI: 10.2478/jccm-2020-0033

The novel coronavirus disease, 2019 (COVID – 19) evolved as an unprecedented pandemic. The severe acute respiratory syndrome-corona virus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection has been associated with significantly deranged coagulation parameters and increased incidence of thrombotic events. Deranged coagulation parameters, such as D-dimers and fibrin degradation products, can indicate a poor prognosis, and their measurement will help stratify the patients according to the disease severity, need of intensive care unit admission, and prediction of the clinical course. Gaps in understanding the natural history of the disease cause difficulties in tailoring therapies and optimizing the management of patients. Lack of specific treatment further complicates this situation. While thrombotic events can cause significant morbidity and mortality in patients, a focused approach to the prevention and treatment of venous thromboembolism (VTE) can, to a great extent, decrease the disease burden caused by thrombotic diseases. Pharmacological prophylactic anticoagulants and mechanical therapies such as pneumatic compression devices can help prevent venous thromboembolism and other thrombotic events. Thrombotic events due to COVID-19, their prevention and management, are the focus of this paper, with the prospect of providing insights into this relatively unexplored area.

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