Pulmonary embolism and acute psychosis, a case report of an outpatient with a mild course of COVID-19

Abstract

Introduction The increased risk for thromboembolism in hospitalized COVID-19 patients has been communicated extensively. The fact that home quarantined patients can develop pulmonary embolism, however, has so far not been reported. Furthermore, attention should be brought to psychotic developments in COVID-19 patients.Case Presentation We report a 46-year-old previously healthy patient with a mild course of COVID-19, who developed a massive pulmonary embolism with right heart strain while being home quarantined. He was hospitalized and anticoagulant therapy was started. Nine days after admission, the patient appeared increasingly psychotic and suffered from hallucinations as well as paranoid thoughts. After treatment with risperidone and valproate the patient’s condition improved. At a follow-up one month after discharge, he was completely recovered regarding the respiratory, cardiac and psychic situation.Conclusion SARS-CoV-2 infection cannot only increase the prevalence of thromboembolism in hospitalized patients, but also in outpatients. COVID-19 also increases the risk of developing psychiatric reactions.