COVID-19 Linked to Increased Risk for DVT, PE, Bleeding

FRIDAY, April 8, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- COVID-19 is associated with an increased risk for deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, and bleeding, according to a study published online April 6 in The BMJ.

Ioannis Katsoularis, M.D., from Umeå University in Sweden, and colleagues quantified the risk for deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, and bleeding after COVID-19 in a self-controlled case series and matched cohort study. A total of 1,057,174 people who tested positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 between Feb. 1, 2020, and May 25, 2021, in Sweden were age-, sex-, and county of residence-matched to 4,076,342 control participants.

The researchers found that the incidence rate ratios were significantly increased for 70, 110, and 60 days after COVID-19 for deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, and bleeding, respectively, compared with the control period. For a first pulmonary embolism, the incidence rate ratios were 36.17 and 46.40 during the first and second week after COVID-19, respectively. During days 1 to 30 after COVD-19, the incidence rate ratios were 5.90, 31.59, and 2.48 for deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, and bleeding, respectively. After adjusting for the effect of potential confounders, the corresponding risk ratios were 4.98, 33.05, and 1.88. Patients with critical COVID-19 had the highest risk ratios. In addition, the risk ratios were highest during the first versus the second and third pandemic waves in Sweden.

"Our findings arguably support thromboprophylaxis to avoid thrombotic events, especially for high-risk patients, and [strengthen] the importance of vaccination against COVID-19," the authors write.

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