[Pulmonary embolism and SARS-CoV-2: analysis of patients hospitalized for pulmonary embolism and COVID-19 in a Northern Italian center].

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has shown high morbidity and mortality and the relationship between pulmonary embolism (PE) and COVID-19 is well established in the literature. METHODS: We describe the characteristics of a cohort of COVID-19 patients (EP-COV) hospitalized at our Centre with PE, investigating how COVID-19 may have influenced their outcomes, as compared to patients without COVID-19 hospitalized for PE in the same months of 2020 (EP-2020) and 2019 (EP-2019). RESULTS: EP-COV patients (n=25) were younger (60.5 ± 8.5 vs 71.4 ± 14.5 vs 70.9 ± 11.8 years, p=0.003), more frequently male (76% vs 48% vs 35%, p=0.016), with a lower history of neoplasia (12% vs 47% vs 40%, p=0.028) and more clinically severe (SOFA score 3.4 ± 1.4 vs 2.2 ± 1.4 vs 1 ± 1.1, p<0.001 and PaO2/FiO2 ratio 223.8 ± 75.5 vs 306.5 ± 49.3 vs 311.8 ± 107.5) than EP-2020 (n=17) and EP-2019 patients (n=20). D-dimer and C-reactive protein were higher in EP-COV (p=0.038 e p<0.001, respectively). The rate of concomitant deep vein thrombosis associated with PE did not differ significantly between the three groups. EP-COV patients developed PE more frequently during in-hospital stay than non-COVID-19 patients (p = 0.016). The mortality rate was higher in EP-COV than in EP-2020 and EP-2019 patients (36% vs 0% vs 5%, p=0.019). CONCLUSIONS: In our study, the risk factors for PE in COVID-19 patients seem to differ from the traditional risk factors for venous thromboembolism; EP-COV patients are clinically more severe and display a higher mortality rate than EP-2020 and EP-2019 patients.