A Case of Severe Acute Pancreatitis Secondary to COVID-19 Infection in a 30-Year-Old Male Patient.
Abstract
A 30-year-old male with no significant medical history presented to the emergency department with complaints of fever, two days of intermittent abdominal pain, dry cough, nausea, vomiting, four days of diarrhea, and worsening dyspnea. Initial evaluation revealed a fever of (102.5 F) and tachycardia (114/min) with hypoxia (SaO2: 84% on room air) and bilateral wheezing on lung auscultation. X-ray of the chest revealed bilateral and peripheral ground-glass and consolidative pulmonary opacities. CT scan of the abdomen was notable for interstitial edema, mild inflammatory changes, and homogenous enhancement of the pancreatic parenchyma. His COVID-19 test came positive, and he was admitted to the intensive-care unit. He was managed symptomatically, and improvement in his clinical condition was observed after three days of admission. This case highlights a possible association between Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), abdominal pain secondary to acute pancreatitis, and the need for meticulous clinical evaluation in patients presenting with gastrointestinal complaints.