Incidence of lower limb deep vein thrombosis in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia through different waves of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: A multicenter prospective study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) of the lower limbs in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 pneumonia in a non-ICU setting according to the different waves of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. METHODS: Multicenter, prospective study of patients with COVID-19 pneumonia admitted to Internal Medicine units in Italy during the first (March-May 2020) and subsequent waves (November 2020 -April 2021) of the pandemic using a serial compression ultrasound (CUS) surveillance to detect DVT of the lower limbs. RESULTS: Three-hundred-sixty-three consecutive patients were enrolled. The pooled incidence of DVT was 8%: 13.5% in the first wave, and 4.2% in the subsequent waves (p = 0.002). The proportion of patients with early (< 4 days) detection of DVT was higher in patients during the first wave with respect to those of subsequent waves (8.1% vs 1.9%; p = 0.004). Patients enrolled in different waves had similar clinical characteristics, and thrombotic risk profile. Less patients during the first wave received intermediate/high dose anticoagulation with respect to those of the subsequent waves (40.5% vs 54.5%; p = 0.005); there was a significant difference in anticoagulant regimen and initiation of thromboprophylaxis at home (8.1% vs 25.1%; p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In acutely ill patients with COVID-19 pneumonia, the incidence of DVT of the lower limbs showed a 3-fold decrease during the first with respect to the subsequent waves of the pandemic. A significant increase in thromboprophylaxis initiation prior to hospitalization, and the increase of the intensity of anticoagulation during hospitalization, likely, played a relevant role to explain this observation.

Role of prognostic scores in predicting in-hospital mortality and failure of non-invasive ventilation in adults with COVID-19.

We tested the prognostic performance of different scores for the identification of subjects with acute respiratory failure by COVID-19, at risk of in-hospital mortality and NIV failure. We conducted a retrospective study, in the Medical High-Dependency Unit of the University-Hospital Careggi. We included all subjects with COVID-19 and ARF requiring non-invasive ventilation (NIV) between March 2020 and January 2021. Clinical parameters, the HACOR score (Heart rate, Acidosis, Consciousness, Oxygenation, Respiratory Rate) and ROX index ((SpO2/FiO2)/respiratory rate) were collected 3 (-3) and 1 day (-1) before the NIV initiation, the first day of treatment (Day0) and after 1 (+1), 2 (+2), 5 (+5), 8 (+8) and 11 (+11) of treatment. The primary outcomes were in-hospital mortality and NIV failure. We included 135 subjects, mean age 69±13 years, 69% male. Patients, who needed mechanical ventilation, showed a higher HACOR score (Day0: 6 [5-7] vs 6 [6-7], p=.057; Day+2: 6 [6-6] vs 6 [4-6], p=.013) and a lower ROX index (Day0: 4.2±2.3 vs 5.1±2.3, p=.055; Day+2: 4.4±1.2.vs 5.5±1.3, p=.001) than those with successful NIV. An HACOR score >5 was more frequent among nonsurvivors (Day0: 82% vs 58%; Day2: 82% vs 48%, all p<0.01) and it was associated with in-hospital mortality (Day0: RR 5.88, 95%CI 2.01-17.22; Day2: RR 4.33, 95%CI 1.64-11.41) independent to age and Charlson index. In conclusion, in subjects treated with NIV for ARF caused by COVID19, respiratory parameters collected after the beginning of NIV allowed to identify those at risk of an adverse outcome. An HACOR score >5 was independently associated with increased mortality rate.

Ferritin as prognostic marker in COVID-19: the FerVid study.

BACKGROUND: In COVID-19 patients the progressive clinical deterioration seems secondary to the activation of a cytokine storm. Ferritin is considered a direct mediator of the immune system and some evidences suggested a shared physio-pathogenic basis between COVID-19 and 'Hyperferritinemic Syndromes.' The aim of our study was to evaluate the prognostic role of ferritin in COVID-19 patients. METHODS: We retrospectively studied consecutive COVID-19 patients admitted to four Italian Internal Medicine Units. Role of potential prognostic markers was evaluated with binary logistic regression analysis and results were expressed as odds ratios (ORs) with the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Poor outcome was defined as death or need to transfer in the intensive care unit. RESULTS: Two hundred patients were included (mean age 68.75 ± 13.22 years). Ferritin value was highly elevated (>3000 ng/mL) in 8% of our population; 13% of patients were transferred to intensive care units and 12% of patients died. At multivariate analysis, highly elevated ferritin levels (OR 16.67 C.I. 4.89-57.57 p < 0.001) and hemoglobin < 10 g/dL (OR 8.88 C.I. 2.02-39.09 p = 0.004) were independently associated with a bad outcome.Patients with ferritin values > 3000 ng/ml appeared to have an inflammatory activation with elevated values of CRP and D-dimer and low values of lymphocyte count. CONCLUSION: Our results confirm the prognostic role of ferritin in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Patients with high ferritin levels should be considered critically ill and treated in an adequate setting. Furthermore, COVID-19 seems to share some characteristics with hyperferritinemic syndromes with potential therapeutic implications.