A retrospective review of CTPA confirmed pulmonary emboli in COVID-19 patients admitted to Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town
| dc.contributor.advisor | Said-Hartley, Mariam | |
| dc.contributor.author | Ahlers, Petri | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2025-07-01T16:31:47Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2025-07-01T16:31:47Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2025 | |
| dc.date.updated | 2025-07-01T09:35:35Z | |
| dc.description.abstract | Background: A high incidence of thromboembolic phenomena has been widely reported in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. There is, however, a paucity of data detailing the incidence and characteristics of pulmonary emboli (PE) in COVID-19 patients in the South African setting. An improved understanding of the presentation and course of these patients is warranted, considering the serious and potentially fatal outcomes. Objectives: To describe the incidence and characteristics of PE confirmed by Computer Tomography Pulmonary Angiogram (CTPA) in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia admitted to a tertiary hospital in the Western Cape, South Africa. Methods: We performed a retrospective-, descriptive study of all adult patients with COVID-19 pneumonia confirmed by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) undergoing CTPA for suspected PE while admitted to Groote Schuur Hospital. The study period was from 1 April 2020 to 30 September 2020. Results: Our study cohort consisted of 116 patients, 59% being female, of whom, 29% were pregnant or in the postpartum period. The median age for both genders combined was 49.5 years. The overall incidence of PE was 19 %, with 20 % in our subset of pregnant and postpartum patients. The majority (64%) of PE's were reported as being segmental in anatomical location. Conclusion: Our study cohort was noteworthy in including pregnant and postpartum patients. The overall incidence of PE was 19 % with no significant differences in demographics, comorbidities or D-dimer levels between patients with or without PE. The importance of a high clinical index of suspicion together with the role of CTPA in diagnosing PE in hospitalised COVID-19 patients is emphasised. | |
| dc.identifier.apacitation | Ahlers, P. (2025). <i>A retrospective review of CTPA confirmed pulmonary emboli in COVID-19 patients admitted to Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town</i>. (). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Health Sciences ,Division of Radiology. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/41502 | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.chicagocitation | Ahlers, Petri. <i>"A retrospective review of CTPA confirmed pulmonary emboli in COVID-19 patients admitted to Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town."</i> ., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Health Sciences ,Division of Radiology, 2025. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/41502 | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.citation | Ahlers, P. 2025. A retrospective review of CTPA confirmed pulmonary emboli in COVID-19 patients admitted to Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town. . University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Health Sciences ,Division of Radiology. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/41502 | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.ris | TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Ahlers, Petri AB - Background: A high incidence of thromboembolic phenomena has been widely reported in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. There is, however, a paucity of data detailing the incidence and characteristics of pulmonary emboli (PE) in COVID-19 patients in the South African setting. An improved understanding of the presentation and course of these patients is warranted, considering the serious and potentially fatal outcomes. Objectives: To describe the incidence and characteristics of PE confirmed by Computer Tomography Pulmonary Angiogram (CTPA) in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia admitted to a tertiary hospital in the Western Cape, South Africa. Methods: We performed a retrospective-, descriptive study of all adult patients with COVID-19 pneumonia confirmed by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) undergoing CTPA for suspected PE while admitted to Groote Schuur Hospital. The study period was from 1 April 2020 to 30 September 2020. Results: Our study cohort consisted of 116 patients, 59% being female, of whom, 29% were pregnant or in the postpartum period. The median age for both genders combined was 49.5 years. The overall incidence of PE was 19 %, with 20 % in our subset of pregnant and postpartum patients. The majority (64%) of PE's were reported as being segmental in anatomical location. Conclusion: Our study cohort was noteworthy in including pregnant and postpartum patients. The overall incidence of PE was 19 % with no significant differences in demographics, comorbidities or D-dimer levels between patients with or without PE. The importance of a high clinical index of suspicion together with the role of CTPA in diagnosing PE in hospitalised COVID-19 patients is emphasised. DA - 2025 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town KW - Radiology LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2025 T1 - A retrospective review of CTPA confirmed pulmonary emboli in COVID-19 patients admitted to Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town TI - A retrospective review of CTPA confirmed pulmonary emboli in COVID-19 patients admitted to Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/41502 ER - | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/41502 | |
| dc.identifier.vancouvercitation | Ahlers P. A retrospective review of CTPA confirmed pulmonary emboli in COVID-19 patients admitted to Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town. []. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Health Sciences ,Division of Radiology, 2025 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/41502 | en_ZA |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.language.rfc3066 | Eng | |
| dc.publisher.department | Division of Radiology | |
| dc.publisher.faculty | Faculty of Health Sciences | |
| dc.publisher.institution | University of Cape Town | |
| dc.subject | Radiology | |
| dc.title | A retrospective review of CTPA confirmed pulmonary emboli in COVID-19 patients admitted to Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town | |
| dc.type | Thesis / Dissertation | |
| dc.type.qualificationlevel | Masters | |
| dc.type.qualificationlevel | MMed |