%0 Observational Study
%T Major Bleeding Events in Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients: A Retrospective Observational Study.
%A Poloni A
%A Casalini G
%A Pozza G
%A Giacomelli A
%A Colaneri M
%A Carrozzo G
%A Caloni B
%A Ciubotariu CL
%A Zacheo M
%A Rabbione A
%A Pieruzzi M
%A Barone F
%A Passerini M
%A Ridolfo AL
%A Rizzardini G
%A Gori A
%A Antinori S
%J Medicina (Kaunas)
%V 60
%N 5
%D 2024 May 15
%M 38792997
%F 2.948
%R 10.3390/medicina60050814
%X Thromboprophylaxis/anticoagulation treatment is often required in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of major bleeding events in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. This was a retrospective observational study including all COVID-19 hospitalized patients ≥18 years of age at one reference center in northern Italy. The crude prevalence (between February 2020-2022) of major bleeding events was estimated as the number of major bleeding episodes divided by patients at risk. Uni- and multivariable Cox models were built to assess factors potentially associated with major bleeding events. Twenty-nine (0.98%) out of 2,945 COVID-19 patients experienced a major bleeding event [prevalence of 0.55% (95%CI 0.37-0.79)], of which five were fatal. Patients who experienced a major bleeding event were older [78 years (72-84 IQR) vs. 67 years (55-78 IQR), p-value < 0.001] and more frequently exposed to anti-aggregating therapy (44.8% vs. 20.0%, p-value 0.002) when compared to those who did not. In the multivariable Cox model, age [per 1 year more AHR 1.05 (CI95% 1.02-1.09)] was independently associated with an increased risk of major bleeding events. A strict monitoring of older hospitalized COVID-19 patients is warranted due to the risk of major bleeding events.