ISSN: 2578-4633
Authors: Stjepanovic J, Sliskovic AM, Kirhmajer MV and Puljevic M*
Background: In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic, disrupting healthcare systems globally. While COVID-19-related venous thromboembolism (VTE) has been widely studied, the impact of the pandemic on non-COVID-19 VTE cases remains unclear. VTE includes pulmonary embolism (PE) and deep venous thrombosis (DVT), both of which are linked to lifestyle factors, such as physical inactivity. Aim: This study aimed to investigate the effect of pandemic-related restrictions on the prevalence of non-COVID-19 VTE hospitalizations. Methods: We performed a single-center retrospective analysis of consecutive non-COVID-19 patients admitted for VTE at University Hospital Centre Zagreb. Patients hospitalized between March 1 and October 31, 2019, were compared to those hospitalized during the same period in 2020. Data on demographic characteristics, diagnostics, and outcomes were collected. Results: In 2019, 70 non-COVID-19 patients (48% female; mean age 60.8 ± 17.2 years) were admitted, compared to 86 patients (50% female; mean age 68.5 ± 16.8 years) in 2020. A significant increase in combined DVT and PE cases was observed in 2020 (p = 0.03). While the overall prevalence of VTE hospitalizations was not statistically different (4.1% in 2019 vs 5.4% in 2020, p = 0.106), patients in 2020 were significantly older (p = 0.002). Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic has indirectly led to an increase in non-COVID-19 VTE cases, especially combined DVT and PE. This is likely due to the sedentary lifestyle imposed by pandemic restrictions, delayed medical treatment, and avoidance of healthcare facilities.
Keywords: COVID-19; Non-Covid Venous Thromboembolism; COVID-19 Lockdowns; Deep Venous Thrombosis; Pulmonary Embolism; eThrombosis
