Pulmonary Embolism in Patients with COVID-19: A Systematic review and Meta-analysis

BackgroundThere is an increasing evidence that COVID-19 could be complicated by coagulopathy which may lead to death; especially in severe cases. Hence, this study aimed to build concrete evidence regarding the incidence and mortality of pulmonary embolism (PE) in patients with COVID-19. MethodsWe performed a systematic search for trusted databases/search engines including PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane library and Web of Science. After screening, the relevant data were extracted and the incidences and mortality rates from the different included studies were pooled for meta-analysis. ResultsTwenty studies were finally included in our study consisting of 1896 patients. The results of the meta-analysis for the all included studies showed that the incidence of PE in patients with COVID-19 was 17.6% with the 95% confidence interval (CI) of 12.7 to 22.5%. There was significant heterogeneity (I2{square}={square}91.17%). Additionally, the results of meta-analysis including 8 studies showed that the mortality in patients with both PE and COVID-19 was 43.1% with the 95% confidence interval (CI) of 19 to 67.1%. There was significant heterogeneity (I2{square}={square}86.96%). ConclusionPE was highly frequent in patients with COVID-19. The mortality in patients with both COVID-19 and PE was remarkable representing almost half of the patients. Appropriate prophylaxis and management are vital for better outcomes.