HealthDay Reports: COVID-19 Tied to Blood Clots; Blood Thinners Could Boost Survival
A large number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients have high levels of potentially life-threatening blood clots, and new research suggests that giving these patients blood thinners may improve their outcome.
COVID-19 Tied to Blood Clots; Blood Thinners Could Boost Survival
WEDNESDAY, May 6, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- As more evidence emerges that COVID-19 is tied to an increased risk of dangerous blood clots, new research suggests that giving patients blood thinners may improve their odds of survival.
"Using anticoagulants should be considered when patients get admitted to the ER and have tested positive for COVID-19, to possibly improve outcomes," study senior author Dr. Valentin Fuster, physician-in-chief at the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, said in a hospital news release.
His team found that the big risk with the use of blood thinners -- bleeding -- was low in the group of patients studied. "However, each case should be evaluated on an individualized basis to account for potential bleeding risk," Fuster stressed.
Over the past few weeks, physicians caring for patients hospitalized with COVID-19 have raised alarm bells after younger patients developed life-threatening clots and stroke. Recent research by the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai found that a large number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients have high levels of potentially life-threatening blood clots.