Abstract
There is paucity of data regarding the outcomes of hospitalized acute pulmonary embolism (PE) patients with heart failure (HF) and Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection. We utilized the 2020 National Inpatient Sample (NIS) Database in conducting a retrospective cohort study to investigate the outcomes of hospitalized acute PE patients with HF and COVID-19, looking at its impact on in-hospital mortality, thrombolysis, and thrombectomy utilization as well as hospital length of stay (LOS). A total of 23,413 hospitalized acute PE patients with HF were identified in our study, of which 1.26% (n = 295/23,413) had COVID-19 infection. Utilizing a stepwise survey multivariable logistic regression model that adjusted for confounders, COVID-19 infection among acute PE patients with HF was found to be an independent predictor of overall in-hospital mortality (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 2.77; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.15-6.67; p = 0.023) and thrombolysis utilization (aOR: 5.52; 95% CI, 2.57-11.84; p ≤ 0.001) compared to those without COVID-19. However, there were comparable rates of thrombectomy utilization and LOS among acute PE patients with HF regardless of the COVID-19 infection status. On subgroup analysis, patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction was found to be associated with increased risk for in-hospital mortality (aOR: 3.89; 95% CI, 1.33-11.39; p = 0.013) and thrombectomy utilization (aOR: 4.58; 95% CI, 1.08-19.41; p = 0.042), whereas both HF subtypes were associated with increased thrombolysis utilization. COVID-19 infection among acute PE patients with HF was associated with higher over-all in-hospital mortality and increased thrombolysis utilization but had comparable hospital LOS as well as thrombectomy utilization.