Title:COVID-19-associated Coagulopathy and Thromboembolism: Determination of Their Patterns and Risk Factors as Predictors of Mortality Among Severe COVID-19 Patients
Volume: 20
Issue: 1
Author(s): Iftikhar Haider Naqvi*, Muhammad Tanveer Alam, Muhammad Rehan, Khalid Mahmood, Muhammad Aurangzeb and Abu Talib
Affiliation:
- Department of Medicine, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, Pakistan
Keywords:
Venous thromboembolism, COVID-19-associated coagulopathy, sepsis-induced coagulopathy, overt disseminated intravascular coagulation, mortality, COPD.
Abstract:
Background: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with Coagulopathy
(CAC) and Venous Thromboembolism (VTE). These are well-reported complications of COVID-19
infection. Earlier publications have shown that CAC and thromboembolism are predictors of mortality
among COVID-19 patients with severe disease.
Materials and Methods: A prospective study was conducted in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) where all
confirmed COVID-19 patients were enrolled and followed until death or ICU discharge. CAC, VTE,
along with all comorbidities, were recorded. Predictors of mortality were determined by univariate and
multivariate regression.
Results: Among 261 patients with COVID-19, 48.3% survived and 51.7% died. CAC was present in
53.2% and 76.3% of the survivors and non-survivors, respectively (p<0.001); 89 patients (31.4%) had
VTE (p=0.36) and 11 patients (4.2%) had arterial thrombosis (p=0.76) among survivors and nonsurvivors.
Age between 71-80 years (p=0.009), male gender (p=0.045), CAC (p<0.001), comorbidities
like chronic kidney disease (CKD, p=0.013), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD, p=0.001)
and asthma (p=0.046), were significant predictors of mortality.
Conclusion: A severe complication of COVID-19 is CAC, such as sepsis-induced coagulopathy, overt
disseminated-coagulopathy and VTE. Old age, various comorbidities (e.g., COPD, CKD, or asthma),
CAC, VTE (pulmonary embolism) and coagulation parameters with critical severity score (D-dimers,
platelets, prothrombin time) and the SOFA (Sequential Organ Failure Assessment) score were significant
predictors of mortality among COVID-19 patients.