Pulmonary Embolism in Patients with COVID 19: A Systematic review and Meta analysis

Background There is an increasing evidence that COVID-19 could be complicated by coagulopathy which may lead to death; especially in severe cases. Hence, this study aimed to build concrete evidence regarding the incidence and mortality of pulmonary embolism (PE) in patients with COVID-19. Methods We performed a systematic search for trusted databases/search engines including PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane library and Web of Science. After screening, the relevant data were extracted and the incidences and mortality rates from the different included studies were pooled for meta-analysis. Results Twenty studies were finally included in our study consisting of 1896 patients. The results of the meta-analysis for the all included studies showed that the incidence of PE in patients with COVID-19 was 17.6% with the 95% confidence interval (CI) of 12.7 to 22.5%. There was significant heterogeneity ( I 2□=□91.17%). Additionally, the results of meta-analysis including 8 studies showed that the mortality in patients with both PE and COVID-19 was 43.1% with the 95% confidence interval (CI) of 19 to 67.1%. There was significant heterogeneity ( I 2□=□86.96%). Conclusion PE was highly frequent in patients with COVID-19. The mortality in patients with both COVID-19 and PE was remarkable representing almost half of the patients. Appropriate prophylaxis and management are vital for better outcomes. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. ### Funding Statement None ### Author Declarations I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained. Yes The details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below: Not needed for this design All necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived. Yes I understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance). Yes I have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines and uploaded the relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material as supplementary files, if applicable. Yes Available upon request from the corresponding author