24 Apr 20. COVID-19 Press release

Professor Edwin van Beek, SINAPSE Chair of Clinical Radiology, spoke with RSNA about thromboembolic complications in COVID-19.

Prof Edwin van Beek described key findings from a recent publication of which he is co-author: Diagnosis, prevention, & treatment of thromboembolic complications in COVID-19: report of the National Institute for Public Health of the Netherlands.

Worldwide, COVID-19 is being treated as a primary pulmonary disease. From the analysis of all available current medical, laboratory & imaging data on COVID-19, it became clear that symptoms & diagnostic tests could not be explained by impaired pulmonary ventilation alone.

Imaging & pathological investigations confirmed the COVID-19 syndrome is a thrombo-inflammatory process that initially affects lung perfusion, but consecutively affects all organs of the body. This highly thrombotic syndrome leads to macro-thrombosis & embolism. Therefore, strict thrombosis prophylaxis, close laboratory & appropriate imaging monitoring with early anti-coagulant therapy in case of suspected venous thromboembolism are indicated.

COVID-19 is more than a lung infection, it affects the vasculature of the lungs & other organs & has a high thrombosis risk with acute life-threatening events that require adequate treatment with anticoagulants based on laboratory monitoring with appropriate imaging tests as required.

To read the full RSNA press release, please click here.