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- Title
Autopsy findings in people vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 infection: Preliminary analysis in a Colombian series.
- Authors
José Chaves, Juan; Carlos Bonilla, Juan; Polo, Fernando; Mendoza, Oscar; Romero, Iván; Victoria Caro, María; González, Andrea; Sánchez, Lisseth K.; Murcia, Félix; Márquez, Gloria; Alejandra Benavides, María; del Pilar Quiroga, María; López, Jorge; Rodríguez-Morales, Alfonso J.; Parra-Medina, Rafael
- Abstract
Introduction: During the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccination has been a key strategy for disease control and the significant reduction of fatal outcomes. However, deaths may occur in vaccinated people, although rarely. Objective: To describe autopsy findings from people vaccinated against COVID-19. Materials and methods: We conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study based on autopsies in patients who died from non-violent causes and had some immunization against SARS-CoV-2 between March 1 2021 and April 31, 2021. Results: We analyzed 121 autopsies (81 were performed at the San José Hospital and 40 at the San José Children's Hospital in Bogotá, Colombia). The mean age was 84 years (minimum 66-maximum 103) and 52,1 % were female. A total of 118 patients (97.5%) had received Sinovac (92.4% one dose, 7.6% two) and the remaining 1.65% had received one dose of the ChAdOx1 and 0,82 % one dose of the BNT162b2. Most cases had comorbidities including hypertension (76.03%), hypothyroidism (39%), COPD (29.75%), diabetes (19%), heart failure (16.52%), myocardial infarction (14.87%), cancer (12.39%), and arrhythmias (10.74%), among others. Sudden cardiac death was the leading death cause (57.02%) followed by myocardial infarction (43.78%) and other cardiovascular conditions (aortic dissection, aortic aneurysms, arrhythmias) (19%). Conclusions: As expected, most fatal cases occurred in patients with risk factors and one vaccine dose (known to be insufficient for an ideal immune protection level against SARS-CoV-2 infection). Therefore, the full scheme of most vaccines is critical in patients with risk factors and comorbidities, particularly those causing immunosuppression, as recommended in national and international guidelines.
- Subjects
SAN Jose (Costa Rica); BOGOTA (Colombia); COLOMBIA; DISEASE risk factors; SARS-CoV-2; VACCINATION; AORTIC dissection; COVID-19 pandemic; HEART failure
- Publication
Biomédica: Revista del Instituto Nacional de Salud, 2021, Vol 41, p167
- ISSN
0120-4157
- Publication type
Article