Characteristics of 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in a COVID-19 survivor.

ABSTRACT

COVID-19 infection primarily causes severe pneumonia complicated by acute respiratory distress syndrome and multiorgan failure requiring a ventilator support. We present a case of a 55-year-old male, admitted with COVID-19. He was obese but had no other medical conditions. His blood pressure was measured by his general physician on several occasions in the past, all values being normal (<140/90 mmHg). He developed multiorgan failure, requiring vasopressor and ventilator support for 17 days. A prone positioning improved the arterial oxygenation, and reduced the need for supplemental oxygen. After recovery, he showed persistently elevated blood pressure and sinus tachycardia both in clinic and out-of-clinic. The activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone and sympathetic systems, volume-overload, hyperreninemia and cytokine storm might have contributed to the exaggerated cardiovascular response.