A Comparative Analysis of Critical Limb Ischemia in the Intensive Care Unit since the COVID-19 Pandemic

BACKGROUND: Emerging data and case reports have found coagulation abnormalities and thrombosis as sequelae of infection with SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19). Case reports have reported thrombotic complications caused by COVID-19-related coagulopathy leading to limb loss. Alarmingly, many of these patients had no underlying vascular disease prior to being infected with COVID-19. Many of these case reports discuss patients developing gangrene in the intensive care unit (ICU). Our study compares the incidence of gangrene in the ICU in COVID-19 patients to baseline inpatient levels prior to the pandemic. METHODS: This retrospective analysis investigates two subsets of patients from a single institution. The first was from 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic; the second subset was from 2019 before the pandemic. Demographic data and medication history were ascertained for both groups. Primary outcomes measures included extremity gangrene that developed in the ICU, mortality, and major amputation. RESULTS: There were 249 COVID-19 positive patients admitted to the ICU in 2020. In 2019, 1,846 admissions to the ICU took place, of which 249 patients were randomized to chart review. There were 13 cases of gangrene that developed in the ICU, 12 of which took place in 2020. In-hospital mortality was 11.6% in nonCOVID-19 patients in 2019 vs. 41.4% in 2021 (P < 0.001). Only 16.7% of the COVID-19 gangrene patients had previously known arterial disease. Also, patients in the COVID-19 group with gangrene were four times more likely to be smokers (P = 0.004). When the data were stratified to compare between gangrene development and no gangrene development, the combined total gangrene group had longer hospital stays, higher need for blood transfusions, required major amputations, and revascularization. A multivariate logistic regression from the total study similarly demonstrated that COVID-19 infection is associated with an 18.23 times increased risk of gangrene. CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19 has resulted in an incomprehensible societal impact that will linger for years to come. The last 2 years have reinforced that COVID-19 will be a part of our clinical practice indefinitely. This study emphasizes the importance of clinician awareness of COVID-19 induced critical limb ischemia in those without underlying arterial disease and few medical comorbidities. More research efforts toward preventing limb loss and COVID-19 coagulopathy must be performed expeditiously to achieve a better understanding.