Acute mesenteric ischemia and COVID-19: an integrative review of the literature

ABSTRACT The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread rapidly around the world after the first cases were reported in December 2019 in China. Despite the prevention of the symptoms presented, extrapulmonary manifestations were identified. In particular, there was an increase in cases of Acute Mesenteric Ischemia (AMI), raising its incidence to 1.9%-3.8% in infected patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the existence of an association between IMA and COVID-19 through the literature. An Integrative Literature Review was carried out. The research question was “mesenteric ischemia in patients with COVID-19: coincidence or association?”. After searching the database and applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 44 were selected for analysis. COVID-19 was confirmed by RT-PCR and imaging tests, gastrointestinal manifestations, alterations and primarily tomographic imaging findings were identified. Most patients were accelerated to laparotomy. As explanations include direct endothelial and injury by the binding of the ACE-2 virus, between hyperinflammation and hypercoagulability, dysregulation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system and factors associated with the severity of the virus. IMA is an emergency with high associated morbidity and mortality, these cases may be a consequence mainly of the thromboinflammatory mechanism associated with SARS-CoV-2. An early diagnosis, diagnosis and diagnoses are crucial to clinical treatment; an assessment regime should be considered in accordance with current evidence and guidelines.