After black fungus, gall bladder gangrene is new post-COVID complication

 

Ultrasound and MRI of the patients revealed that in addition to gangrene there was severe swelling in the gall bladder of these five people.

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic last year, people have not just been affected by the contagious disease but also different types of post-COVID complications. Initially, cases of black fungus were reported in many patients who recovered from the COVID-19 disease.

Now another serious post-COVID complication is been seen in patients who recovered from the Sars Cov2 virus. Many patients recovering from COVID-19 are now coming up with problems like gangrene in the gall bladder. Five patients at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi who were recovering from the COVID-19 disease complained of fever, severe abdominal pain, and vomiting.

On examination, the doctors of the hospital found gangrene in the gall bladder of these patients. Dr Anil Arora, Professor of the Department of Liver and Gastroenterology, Institute of Liver and Gastroenterology, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital said that such cases were seen for the first time in patients who had recovered from COVID-19.

According to Dr Arora, the age of five patients who recovered from COVID-19 and had now developed gangrene in their gall bladder were aged between 37 years to 75 years. Dr Arora further said that out of these five patients, two had diabetes and one also had heart disease.

When ultrasound and MRI of these patients were done, it was found that in addition to gangrene there was severe swelling in the gall bladder of these five patients, and the gangrene of four out of the five patients had also ruptured, after which these patients needed immediate surgery. According to Dr Arora, this type of swelling is mainly caused due to some major operation, serious injury, burns, blood infection, and HIV.

But due to COVID-19, such severe swelling in the gall bladder has been seen for the first time, Dr Arora said.

According to Dr Praveen Sharma, Senior Consultant, Department of Gastroenterology, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, if any patient who recovered from COVID-19 shows symptoms of vomiting and abdominal pain along with fever, then they should immediately go to the doctor and get themselves examined. This will help stop the problem before reaching its serious form and they can also get the right treatment at the right time.