Pulmonary thromboembolism in patients hospitalized with covid-19 at the Simón Bolivar hospital in Cajamarca

Abstract

Patients with COVID-19 are at increased risk of developing arterial and venous thrombosis due to endothelial damage caused by the virus, combined with factors such as hypoxia and prolonged immobilization. These conditions promote clot formation, with pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) being one of the most common complications in these patients. The objective of this study is to determine the incidence of pulmonary thromboembolism in patients with COVID-19 treated at the Simón Bolívar Hospital (HSB) in Cajamarca between 2020 and 2023. This cross-sectional study reviewed medical records of 143 confirmed COVID-19 patients treated at HSB during the specified period. Patients who did not meet the inclusion criteria were excluded. A high incidence of thrombotic events was found, affecting 41.4% of patients. Pulmonary embolism was the most frequent thrombotic event, with an incidence of 20.13%. Males were more affected than females, representing 74.1%. Furthermore, it was observed that the hospital lacked the necessary resources to diagnose deep vein thrombosis or other thrombotic events, which could have underestimated the true incidence of these disorders. The study concludes that there is a high incidence of pulmonary thromboembolism in patients with COVID-19 treated at the HSB between 2020 and 2023. This finding highlights the urgent need to improve diagnostic resources and prevention strategies for thrombosis in this context, given its impact on the clinical course of patients.