Evaluation of the Association Between Pulmonary Embolism, Laboratory and Clinical Parameters, and Pulmonary Involvement in COVID-19 Patients More Than 60 Years: A Single-Center Retrospective Study

Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a viral infection that emerged in 2019. This infection causes a wide range of clinical manifestations, including pulmonary embolism (PE), which has been frequently reported in affected patients. Although numerous studies have investigated PE in patients with COVID-19, the relationship between PE, laboratory indices, and patient mortality has not been fully examined. Therefore, the present study aimed to address this issue. Methods: In this retrospective study, patients were selected from those who were admitted to Hajar Hospital, Shahrekord, Iran, between 2020 and 2023. COVID-19 and PE were diagnosed based on laboratory tests and clinical symptoms by an infectious disease specialist. Following confirmation of the diagnosis, clinical records were retrieved from the hospital archives. Results: Based on the results, the mean age, oxygen saturation, and pulmonary pressure were lower in patients with PE; however, the differences were not statistically significant (P>0.05). Furthermore, pulmonary involvement was slightly higher in patients with PE (P=0.37) than in those without PE. Moreover, the mean mortality rate was higher in patients with PE compared to those without PE, but the difference was not significant (P=0.70). The mean levels of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), red blood cells (RBCs), hemoglobin (Hb), and ejection fraction (EF) were higher in individuals with PE, but these differences were not significant (P>0.05). By contrast, the mean levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), ferritin, white blood cell (WBC) count, and platelet count were higher in patients without PE (P>0.05). Conclusion: Overall, the results demonstrated no significant relationship between clinical and laboratory parameters and the incidence of PE in COVID-19 patients.