Unexpected stormy course after uneventful device closure of atrial septal defect – Possibly due to post-COVID-19 inflammatory state

Abstract

COVID-19 infection has myriad manifestations from self-limiting illness to stormy multi-organ failure. A 28-year-old woman negative for COVID reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction underwent an uneventful elective device closure of atrial septal defect on intubation anesthesia. While a brief postprocedural endotracheal bleed was noted, significant hypoxia and respiratory distress ensued after extubation with biventricular dysfunction, pleural effusion, and radiographic evidence of acute respiratory distress syndrome. COVID antibodies were positive, and inflammatory markers were elevated. After a conservative multipronged medical management including anticoagulation, antibiotics, aspirin, beta-blocker, diuretics, and sildenafil, she improved in 1 week. The clinical course during this pandemic era gives a possibility of a post-COVID inflammatory syndrome as a potential etiology.

Keywords

• acute respiratory distress syndrome
• covid antibody
• multisystem inflammation
• transcatheter intervention