RESUMEN
Deep vein thrombosis is a condition in which a thrombus forms in one of the deep veins of the body, most often in the legs. It may manifest with pain, swelling, redness, or increased temperature of the limb, potentially leading to fatal complications such as pulmonary embolism. This is a case of a 15-year-old psychiatric patient diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis of the left lower limb of uncertain etiology. The patient presented few risk factors associated with venous thromboembolism disorder such as immobilization, antipsychotic treatment, and obesity. Even though psychiatry deals primarily with the mind of a patient, somatic complications occur very often and should not be underestimated. One of those complications is deep vein thrombosis, which is worth remembering, especially when applying procedures during which patients are immobilized for a long period.
RESUMEN
Introduction: The Heart Team (HT) as a group of experienced specialists is responsible for optimal decision-making for high-risk cardiac patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on HT functioning. Methods: In this retrospective, single-center study, we evaluated the cooperation of HT in terms of the frequency of meetings, the number of consulted patients, and the trends in choosing the optimal treatment strategies for complex individuals with severe coronary artery disease (CAD) or valvular heart disease (VHD) before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Poland. Results: From 2016 to May 2022, 301 HT meetings were held, and a total of 4,183 patients with severe CAD (2,060 patients) or severe VHD (2,123 patients) were presented. A significant decrease in the number of HT meetings and consulted patients (2019: 49 and 823 vs. 2020: 44 and 542 and 2021: 45 and 611, respectively, P < 0.001) as well as changes in treatment strategies-increase of conservative, reduction of invasive (2019: 16.7 and 51.9 patients/month vs. 2020: 20.4 and 24.8 patients/month and 2021:19.3 and 31.6 patients/month, respectively, P < 0.001)-were demonstrated with the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. As the pandemic slowly receded, the observed changes began to return to the pre-pandemic trends. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a decrease in the number of HT meetings and consulted patients and significant reduction of invasive procedures in favor of conservative management. Further studies should be aimed to evaluate the long-term implications of this phenomenon.