Comparison of thrombotic and clinical outcomes in SARS-CoV-2-pneumonia versus other viral pneumonia in an urban academic medical center.
Rachel Goldberg, William Ye, Kevin Johns and 7 others
PMID 37290136WHAT IT FOUND
Hospitalised patients with SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia had similar overall composite outcomes to those with H1N1/H3N2 pneumonia, but more often needed dialysis and died.
Thrombotic events were rare and seen only in the SARS-CoV-2 group.
Key findings
01The composite of thrombotic and clinical events did not differ significantly between the SARS-CoV-2 and other viral pneumonia groups.
02Patients with SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia were started on renal replacement therapy more often and died more often than those with other viral pneumonia.
03Seven thrombotic events occurred in the SARS-CoV-2 group and none in the other viral pneumonia group, but this difference was not statistically significant.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study was retrospective and non-randomized, meaning patients were not assigned to groups by chance, which can introduce bias. The sample size was small, particularly for the other viral pneumonia group (58 patients). The authors state that the lack of resources and staff during the first wave of the pandemic may have led to underreporting of thrombotic complications. The study only included patients from the first wave of SARS-CoV-2, so the findings may not apply to later variants or the vaccinated population. There was a potential for inconsistent interpretation of race and ethnicity data between patients and the healthcare facility.
Declared interests
The authors declared no financial disclosures. One author has other industry relationships, but none were relevant to this publication.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia causes fewer blood clots than flu. The difference in thrombotic events was not statistically significant, and the authors believe the low number of events in both groups is likely due to widespread use of anticoagulation protocols and potential underreporting during the pandemic.