Changes in the epidemiology of patients hospitalized in France with deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism during the COVID-19 pandemic

INTRODUCTION: The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the first national lockdown implemented might have disrupted the epidemiology of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE). This study aimed to analyze time trends in patients hospitalized for DVT and PE in France and related in-patient and 90-day post-admission mortality rates. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All patients hospitalized in France for DVT or PE between January and September (weeks 1–40) for each year from 2017 to 2020, were selected. Weekly incidence rate ratios (IRR) were computed to compare the rates of patients hospitalized in 2020 with those hospitalized in 2017–2019. RESULTS: Compared with the 2017–2019 study period, the rates of patients hospitalized with a primary diagnosis (PD) of DVT or PE in 2020 were significantly (50 and 40%, respectively) lower during weeks 12–13. The rate of patients hospitalized with an associated diagnosis (AD) of PE during weeks 12–19 of 2020 was twice as high as in the same period in 2017–2019. The prevalence of COVID-19 in patients hospitalized with a PD of DVT and PE, and in those hospitalized with an AD of DVT and PE reached respectively 4.0, 9.6, 17.2 and 44.6 during the country's first lockdown. Inpatients case-fatality rates in patients hospitalized with an AD of PE increased significantly during weeks 12–13. CONCLUSIONS: Epidemiology of VT and PE was seriously impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 in France, with a significant decrease in the rate of patients hospitalized for PE and a threefold increase in the related in-patient mortality rate. This highlight the need to inform the general population about the symptoms of PE and about the need to immediately seek medical care, particularly those infected with SARS-CoV-2.