Abstract
Background and Objective: The incidence of pulmonary thromboembolic disease (PTE) in COVID-19 patients has been reported from 14.8% up to 30% in various retrospective studies. The purpose of this study is to evaluate clinical and laboratory risk factors, as well as related medications such as anticoagulants, to predict the risk of thromboembolic disease and/or death in the COVID-19 patients.
Methods: Over a period of 14 months (August 2020 to September 2021), a total of 145 consecutive patients with signs and symptoms suspicious for pulmonary embolism (PE) were referred for perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (Q SPECT/CT). All patients had a history of acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS CoV-2) infection diagnosed with a positive real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test.
Results: Among the 145 patients included in the study The risk of PE was found to be greater in elder patients (OR:1.05, p<0.001) (Odds Ratio [95% CI]: 1.05 [1.02‑1.07], p<0.001) and in patients with higher maximum d-dimer levels (Odds Ratio [95% CI]: 1.14 [1.01‑1.3], p=0.04). We also analyzed the utility of maximum d-dimer level for predicting acute PE with ROC curve analysis. For d‑dimer = 0.5 mg/dL cut-off sensitivity is 91%, specificity is 23%, for d-dimer = 1 mg/dL cut-off sensitivity is 79%, specificity is 43%
Conclusion: D-dimer titers were higher in the pulmonary embolism group in our study. Another significant finding was that anticoagulants did not prevent the development of pulmonary embolism in COVID-19 patients due to undergoing thromboinflamation possibly.
Footnotes
Cite this article as Eur Respir J 2022; 60: Suppl. 66, 3674.
This article was presented at the 2022 ERS International Congress, in session “-”.
This is an ERS International Congress abstract. No full-text version is available. Further material to accompany this abstract may be available at www.ers-education.org (ERS member access only).
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