Pulmonary embolism severity before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVES: Early in the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, a high frequency of pulmonary embolism was identified. This audit aims to assess the frequency and severity of pulmonary embolism in 2020 compared to 2019. METHODS: In this retrospective audit, we compared computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) frequency and pulmonary embolism severity in April and May 2020, compared to 2019. Pulmonary embolism severity was assessed with the Modified Miller score and the presence of right heart strain was assessed. Demographic information and 30-day mortality was identified from electronic health records. RESULTS: In April 2020, there was a 17% reduction in the number of CTPA performed and an increase in the proportion identifying pulmonary embolism (26%, n = 68/265 vs 15%, n = 47/320, p < 0.001), compared to April 2019. Patients with pulmonary embolism in 2020 had more comorbidities (p = 0.026), but similar age and sex compared to 2019. There was no difference in pulmonary embolism severity in 2020 compared to 2019, but there was an increased frequency of right heart strain in May 2020 (29 vs 12%, p = 0.029). Amongst 18 patients with COVID-19 and pulmonary embolism, there was a larger proportion of males and an increased 30 day mortality (28% vs 6%, p = 0.008). CONCLUSION: During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a reduction in the number of CTPA scans performed and an increase in the frequency of CTPA scans positive for pulmonary embolism. Patients with both COVID-19 and pulmonary embolism had an increased risk of 30-day mortality compared to those without COVID-19. ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of CTPA performed decreased and the proportion of positive CTPA increased. Patients with both pulmonary embolism and COVID-19 had worse outcomes compared to those with pulmonary embolism alone.

A Survey-based Estimate of COVID-19 Incidence and Outcomes among Patients with Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension or Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension and Impact on the Process of Care.

Rationale: Patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) typically undergo frequent clinical evaluation. The incidence and outcomes of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and its impact on routine management for patients with pulmonary vascular disease is currently unknown.Objectives: To assess the cumulative incidence and outcomes of recognized COVID-19 for patients with PAH/CTEPH followed at accredited pulmonary hypertension centers, and to evaluate the pandemic's impact on clinic operations at these centers.Methods: A survey was e-mailed to program directors of centers accredited by the Pulmonary Hypertension Association. Descriptive analyses and linear regression were used to analyze results.Results: Seventy-seven center directors were successfully e-mailed a survey, and 58 responded (75%). The cumulative incidence of COVID-19 recognized in individuals with PAH/CTEPH was 2.9 cases per 1,000 patients, similar to the general U.S. population. In patients with PAH/CTEPH for whom COVID-19 was recognized, 30% were hospitalized and 12% died. These outcomes appear worse than the general population. A large impact on clinic operations was observed including fewer clinic visits and substantially increased use of telehealth. A majority of centers curtailed diagnostic testing and a minority limited new starts of medical therapy. Most centers did not use experimental therapies in patients with PAH/CTEPH diagnosed with COVID-19.Conclusions: The cumulative incidence of COVID-19 recognized in patients with PAH/CTEPH appears similar to the broader population, although outcomes may be worse. Although the total number of patients with PAH/CTEPH recognized to have COVID-19 was small, the impact of COVID-19 on broader clinic operations, testing, and treatment was substantial.

Pulmonary artery thrombi are co-located with opacifications in SARS-CoV2 induced ARDS.

PURPOSE: Patients hospitalized for infection with SARS-CoV-2 typically present with pneumonia. The respiratory failure is frequently complicated by pulmonary embolism in segmental pulmonary arteries. The distribution of pulmonary embolism in regard to lung parenchymal opacifications has not been investigated yet. METHODS: All patients with COVID-19 treated at a medical intensive care unit between March 8th and April 15th, 2020 undergoing computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) were included. All CTPA were assessed by two radiologists independently in respect to parenchymal changes and pulmonary embolism on a lung segment basis. RESULTS: Out of 22 patients with severe COVID-19 treated within the observed time period, 16 (age 60.4 ± 10.2 years, 6 female SAPS2 score 49.2 ± 13.9) underwent CT. A total of 288 lung segment were analyzed. Thrombi were detectable in 9/16 (56.3%) patients, with 4.4 ± 2.9 segments occluded per patient and 40/288 (13.9%) segments affected in the whole cohort. Patients with thrombi had significantly worse segmental opacifications in CT (p < 0.05) and all thrombi were located in opacitated segments. There was no correlation between d-dimer level and number of occluded segmental arteries. CONCLUSIONS: Thrombi in segmental pulmonary arteries are common in COVID-19 and are located in opacitated lung segments. This might suggest local clot formation.

Effect of COVID-19 on computed tomography usage and critical test results in the emergency department: an observational study.

BACKGROUND: The effect of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on new or unexpected radiologic findings in the emergency department (ED) is unclear. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the number of computed tomography (CT) critical test results in the ED. METHODS: We performed a retrospective observational study of ED CT usage at 4 Ontario hospitals (1 urban academic, 1 northern academic, 1 urban community and 1 rural community) over 1 month during the COVID-19 pandemic (April 2020) and over the same month 1 year earlier (April 2019; before the pandemic). The CT findings from 1 of the 4 hospitals, Hamilton Health Sciences, were reviewed to determine the number of critical test results by body region. Total CT numbers were compared using Poisson regression and CT yields were compared using the χ2 test. RESULTS: The median number of ED CT examinations per day was markedly lower during the COVID-19 pandemic than before the pandemic (82 v. 133, p < 0.01), with variation across hospitals (p = 0.001). On review of 1717 CT reports from Hamilton Health Sciences, fewer critical test results were demonstrated on CT pulmonary angiograms (43 v. 88, p < 0.001) and CT examinations of the head (82 v. 112, p < 0.03) during the pandemic than before the pandemic; however, the yield of these examinations did not change. Although the absolute number of all CT examinations with critical test results decreased, the number of CT examinations without critical results decreased more, resulting in a higher yield of CT for critical test results during the pandemic (46% [322/696] v. 37% [379/1021], p < 0.01). INTERPRETATION: Emergency department CT volumes markedly decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic, predominantly because there were fewer examinations with new or unexpected findings. This suggests that COVID-19 public information campaigns influenced the behaviours of patients presenting to the ED.

Clinical findings, risk factors, and final outcome in patients diagnosed with pulmonary thromboembolism and COVID-19 in hospital emergency departments. / Características clínicas, factores de riesgo y resultados finales de pacientes con COVID-19 diagnosticados de tromboembolia de pulmón en urgencias.

OBJECTIVES: To analyze clinical, laboratory, and radiologic findings and final health outcomes in patients with pulmonary embolism and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). To compare them to findings and outcomes in patients with pulmonary embolism without COVID-19. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Multicenter, observational, retrospective study in 4 Spanish hospital emergency departments (EDs) from January 15 to April 15, 2020. Cases were located by reviewing all ED requests for pulmonary computed tomography angiography (CTA) procedures. Clinical, laboratory, and radiologic findings; medical histories and comorbidity; risk factors; and outcomes were compared between the 2 groups of patients (with or without COVID-19). RESULTS: A total of 399 CTAs were ordered; 88 pulmonary embolisms were diagnosed, 28 of them (32%) in patients with COVID-19. This group had more men, and a history of thromboembolic disease was more common. We found no between-group differences in clinical presentation, laboratory, or radiologic findings; nor were there differences in final outcomes. In-hospital mortality was 7% (2 cases) in patients with COVID-19 and 17% (10 cases) in patients without the virus (odds ratio for death in patients with pulmonary embolism and COVID-19, 0.38; 95% CI, 0.08-1.89). CONCLUSION: We found no clinically important differences in the clinical, laboratory, or radiologic findings between patients with or without COVID-19 who were treated for pulmonary embolism in our hospital EDs. Final outcomes also did not differ.

OBJETIVO: Analizar las características clínicas, analíticas, radiológicas y los resultados finales de salud en una cohorte de pacientes con embolia pulmonar (EP) y COVID-19, y compararlas con un grupo de pacientes con EP sin COVID-19. METODO: Estudio multicéntrico, observacional y retrospectivo realizado en cuatro servicios de urgencias hospitalarios (SUH) españoles del 15 de enero al 15 de abril de 2020. La detección de EP se hizo mediante la revisión de todas las angiografías por tomografía computarizada (angioTC) pulmonares solicitadas desde los SUH. Se han analizado dos grupos de pacientes con EP, con o sin enfermedad por COVID-19, y se comparan las características clínicas, analíticas, radiológicas, antecedentes y comorbilidad, factores de riesgo y resultados finales. RESULTADOS: Se realizaron 399 angioTC y se diagnosticaron 88 EP, 28 (32%) en pacientes con COVID-19. Estos pacientes fueron con más frecuencia hombres y tenían más antecedentes de enfermedad tromboembólica previa. No hubo diferencias en la presentación clínica, características analíticas o radiológicas ni en los resultados finales entre ambos grupos. La mortalidad intrahospitalaria fue del 7% (2 casos) en pacientes COVID y del 17% (10 casos) en pacientes sin COVID (OR de muerte en pacientes COVID con EP: 0,38, IC 95%: 0,08-1,89). CONCLUSIONES: No se han observado diferencias clínicamente relevantes en las características clínicas, analíticas, radiológicas y los resultados finales de salud en una cohorte de pacientes con EP y COVID-19 respecto a los pacientes con EP sin esta enfermedad atendidos en los SUH.

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic Shifts Inpatient Imaging Utilization.

OBJECTIVE: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had a significant impact on imaging utilization across practice settings. The purpose of this study was to quantify the change in the composition of inpatient imaging volumes for modality types and Current Procedural Terminology-coded groups during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: A retrospective study of inpatient imaging volumes in a large health care system was performed, analyzing weekly imaging volumes by modality types (radiography, CT, MRI, ultrasound, interventional radiology, nuclear medicine) in years 2020 and 2019. The data set was split to compare pre-COVID-19 (weeks 1-9) and post-COVID-19 (weeks 10-16) periods. Further subanalyses compared early post-COVID-19 (weeks 10-13) and late post-COVID-19 (weeks 14-16) periods. Statistical comparisons were performed using χ2 and independent-samples t tests. RESULTS: Compared with 2019, total inpatient imaging volume in 2020 post-COVID-19, early and late post-COVID-19 periods, declined by 13.6% (from 78,902 to 68,168), 16.6% (from 45,221 to 37,732), and 9.6% (from 33,681 to 30,436), respectively. By week 16, inpatient imaging volume rebounded and was only down 4.2% (from 11,003 to 10,546). However, a statistically significant shift (P < .0001) in the 2020 composition mix was observed largely comprised of radiography (74.3%), followed by CT (12.7%), ultrasound (8%), MRI (2.4%), interventional radiology (2.3%), and nuclear medicine (0.4%). Although the vast majority of imaging studies declined, few Current Procedural Terminology-coded groups showed increased trends in imaging volumes in the late post-COVID-19 period, including CT angiography chest, radiography chest, and ultrasound venous duplex. DISCUSSION: During the COVID-19 pandemic, we observed a decrease in inpatient imaging volumes accompanied by a shift away from cross-sectional imaging toward radiography. These findings could have significant implications in planning for a potential resurgence.