Deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary thromboembolism among COVID-19 patients

Abstract

Objective: Venous thrombosis arises from the formation of clots within the venous wall, precipitating an inflammatory cascade. This study aimed to obtain the statistics of confirmed cases of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) through Doppler ultrasound and pulmonary embolism (PE) via pulmonary computed tomography (CT) angiography within the cohort of COVID-19 patients. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 265 COVID-19 patients hospitalized at Afzalipour Hospital in Kerman, Iran, during 2020-2021. The patients' records were examined for Doppler ultrasound of the lower extremities and pulmonary CT angiography. Following the establishment of Doppler ultrasound frequencies, an assessment of DVT frequency was conducted among patients who had undergone Doppler ultrasound, correlating with PE assessments via clinical judgment and pulmonary CT angiography. Results: The study revealed a thrombosis prevalence of approximately 6.8%, with around 61.1% of thrombosis cases identified in men. The most prevalent underlying conditions within this cohort were diabetes mellitus and hypertension, accounting for approximately 22.2% of the cases. The outcomes of the regression analysis demonstrated a significant association between thrombosis and C-reactive protein (CRP) ( p= 0.02). Conclusion: In conclusion, venous thromboembolism, encompassing conditions like DVT and PTE, emerges as a heightened occurrence among COVID-19 patients, and this prevalence is notably linked to elevated CRP levels. Acquiring an understanding of the associated risk factors and pertinent symptoms equips physicians with the tools to diagnose individuals at risk, ultimately mitigating avoidable fatalities and curbing treatment expenditures through the effective management and assessment of these risk elements

Keywords

• pulmonary embolism
• deep vein thrombosis
• doppler ultrasonography
• computed tomography angiography