The Covid pandemic was marked by an alarmingly high rate of hyperclotting in patients, endangering their lives with clots that cut off blood supply to vital organs such as the heart, lungs, brain, bowel, and kidney, resulting in sudden death or severe complications such as stroke, kidney failure, and gut attack.
Covid-19 patients reported clotting in vessels supplying blood to the limbs, including the toes, legs, arms, and fingers, in the second wave. Due to delayed diagnosis and lack of prompt access to vascular surgeons, several people lost limbs to gangrene.
In fact, a study conducted by the Institute of Vascular and Endovascular Sciences (IVES) at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital found that the occurrence of such clots in limbs was higher in the second wave, and patients presented with dead feet and legs.
“Of the 92 Covid-19 positive patients treated at IVES, 19% patients lost their limbs as they had to undergo surgery for removal of dead leg due to myriad reasons including late presentation to hospital, inability to perform clot removal surgery due to critical Covid-19 illness. 11 patients lost their lives due to severe Covid,” said Dr Varinder Bedi, head of the department at IVES.
