Impact of COVID 19 on Hospitalization for Thromboembolic Diseases in Germany

Objectives: We compared hospitalization rates for thrombotic venous and arterial disease in 2020 and 2021 of the COVID-19 pandemic with the 3-year period from 2017 to 2019 before. Patients and Methods: Lists of hospitalizations with principal diagnoses of Pulmonary Embolism (PE), Deep Vein (DVT), Sinus Vein (SVT) and Portal Vein Thrombosis (PVT), Budd-Chiari-Syndrome (BCS), Myocardial Infarction (MI), Embolic Stroke (ES), and acute Peripheral Embolism and Thrombosis (PET) were provided by the Federal Statistical Office in Germany. Results: The number of hospitalizations was fairly constant before the COVID-19 pandemic for PE, PVT, BCS, MI, and ES; those for DVT and PET were trending downward; and those for SVT were trending upward. In 2020, absolute number of all hospitalizations was 13.8% lower than the average from 2017 to 2019. Contrary to this trend, hospitalized cases for SVT, BCS, and ES were within the 95%-CI of the 3 years before COVID-19, and they were lower for PE, DVT, PVT, MI, and PET. In 2021, absolute number of all hospitalizations was 14.6% lower. Contrary to this trend, the absolute number of hospitalizations for PE, SVT, and ES was above the upper limit of the 95%-CI of the 3 years before COVID-19. The increase in PE in 2021 occurred in the 50-to 80-year age groups, and the decrease in MI and PET in the 70-and 85-year age groups. The increase in SVT affected all age groups. Conclusion: The analysis shows that the COVID-19 pandemic does not affect all venous and arterial diseases equally.