Bleeding risk in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 receiving intermediate- or therapeutic doses of thromboprophylaxis.

INTRODUCTION: Some local protocols suggest using intermediate or therapeutic doses of anticoagulants for thromboprophylaxis in hospitalized patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, the incidence of bleeding, predictors of major bleeding, or the association between bleeding and mortality remain largely unknown. METHODS: We performed a cohort study of patients hospitalized for COVID-19 that received intermediate or therapeutic doses of anticoagulants from March 25 to July 22, 2020, to identify those at increased risk for major bleeding. We used bivariate and multivariable logistic regression to explore the risk factors associated with major bleeding. RESULTS: During the study period, 1965 patients were enrolled. Of them, 1347 (69%) received intermediate- and 618 (31%) therapeutic-dose anticoagulation, with a median duration of 12 days in both groups. During the hospital stay, 112 patients (5.7%) developed major bleeding and 132 (6.7%) had non-major bleeding. The 30-day all-cause mortality rate for major bleeding was 45% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 36%-54%) and for non-major bleeding 32% (95% CI: 24%-40%). Multivariable analysis showed increased risk for in-hospital major bleeding associated with D-dimer levels >10 times the upper normal range (hazard ratio [HR], 2.23; 95% CI, 1.38-3.59), ferritin levels >500 ng/ml (HR, 2.01; 95% CI, 1.02-3.95), critical illness (HR, 1.91; 95% CI, 1.14-3.18), and therapeutic-intensity anticoagulation (HR, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.01-1.97). CONCLUSIONS: Among patients hospitalized with COVID-19 receiving intermediate- or therapeutic-intensity anticoagulation, a major bleeding event occurred in 5.7%. Use of therapeutic-intensity anticoagulation, critical illness, and elevated D-dimer or ferritin levels at admission were associated with increased risk for major bleeding.

Venous thromboembolism in immobilized patients with dementia. Findings from the RIETE registry.

BACKGROUND: The natural history of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients with dementia has not been thoroughly studied. METHODS: We used the RIETE Registry data to assess the clinical characteristics, treatment strategies and outcome during the first 3 months after acute VTE in all immobilized patients with dementia. RESULTS: As of August 2011, 37988 patients had been enrolled, of whom 1316 (3.5%) had dementia. Most patients in both subgroups were initially treated with low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH). Then, 48% of patients with dementia and 25% of those without dementia received LMWH as long-term therapy. During the first 3 months of anticoagulant therapy, patients with dementia had a higher incidence of fatal pulmonary embolism (PE): 4.0% vs. 1.2% (odds ratio: 3.3; 95% CI: 2.5-4.4) and fatal bleeding: 1.4% vs. 0.5% (odds ratio: 2.9; 95% CI: 1.8-4.6) than those without dementia. In demented patients initially presenting with PE, the incidence of fatal PE during the first week outweighed that of fatal bleeding (42 vs. 4 deaths), but from Day 8, the incidence of fatal PE was similar to the incidence of fatal bleeding. In patients initially presenting with deep vein thrombosis (DVT), there were 4 fatal PE and 8 fatal bleeding events. CONCLUSIONS: VTE patients with dementia had a high incidence of fatal PE and fatal bleeding. In those initially presenting with PE, the risk of dying of PE far outweighed that of fatal bleeding. In patients presenting with DVT alone, the risk of fatal PE was lower than that of fatal bleeding.