PB0386 - Patient awareness of venous thromboembolism after hospitalization for COVID19: A venous thrombosis virtual surveillance in COVID study subanalysis

Sunday, June 23, 2024

13:45 – 14:45 ICT

Room: Exhibition Hall

Presenting Author(s)

Alexa Moschella, HBSc

Medical Student
Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa
Kleinburg, Ontario, Canada

Co-Author(s)

JA

Jameel Abdulrehman

Assistant Professor
University of Toronto
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
MA

Marie-Pier Arsenault

Assistant Professor
University of Montreal
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
AC

Andrea Cervi

Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor
University of Windsor
Windsor, Ontario, Canada
AC

Andrew Cheung

Assistant Professor
McMaster University
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Adam Cuker, MD, MS

Department of Medicine and Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
MK

Maral Koolian

Assistant Professor
McGill University
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Gregoire Le Gal

Hematologist
University of Ottawa
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
CR

Chantal Rockwell

Research Coordinator
Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
PS

Prism Schneider

Associate Professor
University of Calgary
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
RZ

Ryan Zarychanski

Associate Professor
University of Manitoba
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Marc Carrier, MD

Professor
Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa at the The Ottawa Hospital
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Deborah Siegal, MD MSc FRCPC

Associate Professor
University of Ottawa and Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Background: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is an important cause of morbidity and mortality post-hospitalization for acute medical illness.

Aims: Given the high risk of thrombosis during hospitalization for COVID-19, the objective of this study was to determine patient awareness of VTE risk factors, signs, and symptoms after hospitalization for COVID-19.

Methods: The Venous Thrombosis Virtual Surveillance in COVID (VVIRTUOSO) study prospectively enrolled participants aged >18 years old from 6 Canadian hospitals within 7 days of discharge after hospitalization for COVID-19. Patients receiving therapeutic anticoagulation were excluded. After obtaining informed consent, participants completed a VTE survey about VTE awareness, deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) including signs and symptoms. Continuous variables were reported as mean and standard deviation, or median and interquartile range (IQR). Categorical variables were reported as proportions with 95% confidence intervals (CI).

Results: 513 participants were enrolled in VVIRTUOSO (January 2021 to December 2022) among whom 500 completed the survey (46% female, mean [SD] age 58 [16] years). The median (IQR) length of hospital admission was 7 (11) days. Awareness of thrombosis (61%), DVT (46%), and PE (64%) was numerically but not significantly lower than awareness of heart attack (98%), stroke (96%), breast cancer (96%) and AIDS (93%). Only 69% (95% CI, 64-77) of participants were aware that blood clots are preventable, and awareness of VTE risk factors such as estrogen (42%) and pregnancy (54%) was low (Figure 1). Knowledge of VTE symptoms was variable but most participants (>80%) recognized at least one symptom of DVT and/or PE (Table 1).

Conclusion(s): We showed that only two-thirds of patients discharged from hospital after COVID-19 were aware of VTE despite the known increased risk of thrombosis among those hospitalized for COVID-19. VTE awareness appeared lower than awareness of other non-thrombotic conditions. Strategies to increase awareness about VTE post-hospitalization are needed.