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Meta-Analysis
. 2021 Mar;159(3):1182-1196.
doi: 10.1016/j.chest.2020.11.005. Epub 2020 Nov 17.

Incidence of VTE and Bleeding Among Hospitalized Patients With Coronavirus Disease 2019: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

David Jiménez  1 , Aldara García-Sanchez  2 , Parth Rali  3 , Alfonso Muriel  4 , Behnood Bikdeli  5 , Pedro Ruiz-Artacho  6 , Raphael Le Mao  7 , Carmen Rodríguez  2 , Beverley J Hunt  8 , Manuel Monreal  9
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Incidence of VTE and Bleeding Among Hospitalized Patients With Coronavirus Disease 2019: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

David Jiménez et al. Chest. 2021 Mar.

Abstract

Background: Individual studies have reported widely variable rates for VTE and bleeding among hospitalized patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Research question: What is the incidence of VTE and bleeding among hospitalized patients with COVID-19?

Methods: In this systematic review and meta-analysis, 15 standard sources and COVID-19-specific sources were searched between January 1, 2020, and July 31, 2020, with no restriction according to language. Incidence estimates were pooled by using random effects meta-analyses. Heterogeneity was evaluated by using the I2 statistic, and publication bias was assessed by using the Begg and Egger tests.

Results: The pooled incidence was 17.0% (95% CI, 13.4-20.9) for VTE, 12.1% (95% CI, 8.4-16.4) for DVT, 7.1% (95% CI, 5.3-9.1) for pulmonary embolism (PE), 7.8% (95% CI, 2.6-15.3) for bleeding, and 3.9% (95% CI, 1.2-7.9) for major bleeding. In subgroup meta-analyses, the incidence of VTE was higher when assessed according to screening (33.1% vs 9.8% by clinical diagnosis), among patients in the ICU (27.9% vs 7.1% in the ward), in prospective studies (25.5% vs 12.4% in retrospective studies), and with the inclusion of catheter-associated thrombosis/isolated distal DVTs and isolated subsegmental PEs. The highest pooled incidence estimate of bleeding was reported for patients receiving intermediate- or full-dose anticoagulation (21.4%) and the lowest in the only prospective study that assessed bleeding events (2.7%).

Interpretation: Among hospitalized patients with COVID-19, the overall estimated pooled incidence of VTE was 17.0%, with higher rates with routine screening, inclusion of distal DVT, and subsegmental PE, in critically ill patients and in prospective studies. Bleeding events were observed in 7.8% of patients and were sensitive to use of escalated doses of anticoagulants and nature of data collection. Additional studies are required to ascertain the significance of various thrombotic events and to identify strategies to improve patient outcomes.

Trial registry: PROSPERO; No.: CRD42020198864; URL: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/.

Keywords: COVID-19; DVT; VTE; bleeding; pulmonary embolism.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Study selection. CINAHL = Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature; COVID-19 = coronavirus disease 2019.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Forest plot showing the incidence of VTE among hospitalized patients with COVID-19. aShortest assessment period. COVID-19 = coronavirus disease 2019; IV = Inverse-Variance.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Forest plot showing the incidence of bleeding among hospitalized patients with COVID-19. COVID-19 = coronavirus disease 2019; IV = Inverse-Variance.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment in

  • Don't Do Anything! Just Stand There!
    Moores LK. Moores LK. Chest. 2021 Mar;159(3):908-909. doi: 10.1016/j.chest.2020.12.022. Chest. 2021. PMID: 33678274 Free PMC article. No abstract available.
  • Incidence of Thromboembolic Events in Cancer Hospitalized Patients With COVID-19.
    Rogado J, Obispo B, Muñoz-Rivas N, Lara MA; Infanta Leonor Thrombosis Research Group. Rogado J, et al. Chest. 2021 Jun;159(6):2512-2513. doi: 10.1016/j.chest.2021.01.022. Chest. 2021. PMID: 34099141 Free PMC article. No abstract available.
  • Response.
    Jiménez D, Rodríguez C, Monreal M, Bikdeli B. Jiménez D, et al. Chest. 2021 Jun;159(6):2513. doi: 10.1016/j.chest.2021.01.024. Chest. 2021. PMID: 34099142 No abstract available.

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