Accelerated LVAD Pump Thrombosis in COVID-19 Patient: Case report and
Mini review
Abstract
Coronavirus (COVID-19) infection exposes patients with heart failure to
a higher risk of morbidity and mortality. In LVAD patients, one of the
key problems that can lead to life-threatening low-flow or pump
malfunction due to thrombus development in the inflow cannula, device
body, or outflow graft, implicating hemodynamic instability, hemolysis,
renal or hepatic failure, or cerebral or peripheral thromboembolism.
[Endothelial protein C receptor and thrombomodulin levels are elevated
along with procoagulants such as factor VIII, P-selectin, and von
Willebrand factor and downregulated along with thrombomodulin as a
result of the cytokine storm released by endothelial and immune cells.
In general ,](#ref-0013) LVAD thrombosis has been found to occur in
2–13% of adult patients who use current continuous-flow devices.
However, LVAD thrombosis due to COVID-19 is underreported and a few
cases presented. We present a case of accelerated LVAD outflow
thrombosis in the setting of COVID-19 infection with multiorgan failure.