• Tolga Kalaycı, Murat Kartal, and Mustafa Yeni.
• Department of General Surgery, Ağrı İbrahim Çeçen University Faculty of Medicine, Ağrı-Türkiye.
• Ulus Travma Acil Cer. 2022 Oct 1; 28 (10): 146814741468-1474.

BackgroundThere has been an increased incidence of rectus sheath hematoma (RSH) due to chronic cough attacks and anti-coagulant therapy due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The present study aims to determine, in which parameters differ before and during the diagnosis of RSH in COVID-19 patients and what may be expected during diagnosis and follow-up.MethodsThirty-five patients diagnosed with RSH were evaluated retrospectively between March 2016 and March 2021. The COVID-19 group comprised 11 patients. Various information including patient history and time of discharge/death were retrieved and compared between the experimental groups.ResultsThe rates of hypotension on admission (p=0.011) and the rates of defense and rebound (p=0.030) were higher in the patients with COVID-19 than in those without. Although there was no difference in terms of bleeding width, there was a greater decrease in the hemoglobin levels (p=0.009) in the COVID-19 patients and the need for erythrocyte suspension (p=0.040) increased significantly in that group.ConclusionThe present study constitutes the first evaluation of RSH in COVID-19 patients. The clinical situation is serious due to high rates of hypotension, defense or rebound, and decreases in hemoglobin levels in COVID-19 patients. This makes the clinical management of RSH more difficult, resulting in longer hospitalization. Despite these difficulties, COVID-19 infection does not increase morbidity or mortality.

21 keywords...

hide…