Open AccessRecovery from COVID-19 Pneumonia in a Patient with Acute Severe Colitis
Author(s) -
Garcia Karoline Soares,
Moutinho Bruna Damásio,
Azevedo Matheus Freitas Cardoso de,
Queiroz Natalia Sousa Freitas,
Milani Luciane Reis,
Sanches Lucas Navarro,
Barros Luisa Leite,
Oba Jane,
Carlos Alexandre de Sousa,
Damião Aderson Omar Mourão Cintra,
Sipahi Aytan Miranda
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
inflammatory intestinal diseases
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2296-9365
pISSN - 2296-9403
DOI - 10.1159/000508161
Subject(s) - case report
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has increased concern regarding SARS-CoV-2 infection in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients, especially those on immunosuppressive therapies or with active disease. There are limited reports describing the clinical features of COVID-19 in an IBD population, and the impact of immunosuppression on the severity of the infection remains unclear. Case Report: A 33-year-old female patient with a long history of ulcerative colitis, poorly controlled, was admitted with COVID-19 a few days after being discharged from the hospital for treatment of acute severe ulcerative colitis. High-risk factors for COVID-19 complications, i.e., high-dose steroids (40 mg prednisone) and severe active disease, were present at admission. Despite the development of extensive pulmonary involvement, the patient had a favorable outcome. Discussion: Management of IBD patients during the COVID-19 pandemic has been challenging. Measures to minimize the potential risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection, including strict social distancing and self-isolation, in the IBD population have been recommended, especially for high-risk patients. Although steroid tapering and persistence of biologics are advised by professional groups, the best treatment strategy for IBD patients presenting a flare during the outbreak has yet to be defined.