JOPIC
Journal of Pulmonology and Intensive Care

The JoPIC is an independent-unbiased, peer-reviewed, and open-access journal of current national and international issues and reviews for original clinical and experimental research, interesting case reports, surgical techniques, differential diagnoses, editorial opinions, letters to the editor, and educational papers in pulmonology, thoracic surgery, occupational diseases, allergology, and intensive care medicine.

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Original Article
Clinical characteristics and mortality risk factors in COVID-19 patients with pulmonary embolism
Abstract
Aims: To evaluate the clinical characteristics, radiological findings, and mortality-related factors in patients with COVID-19-associated pulmonary embolism (PE).
Methods: This multicenter retrospective cohort study analyzed data from 13 tertiary centers and included adult patients with molecularly confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection and radiologically verified PE.
Results: A total of 112 patients were included (mean age: 59.9±14.1 years), of whom 50% had severe pneumonia. PE and COVID-19 were diagnosed simultaneously in 29.5% of cases. The median interval between COVID-19 diagnosis and PE development was 6 days. Despite standard or intermediate-dose thromboprophylaxis, PE occurred in 42.9% of patients. Computed tomography pulmonary angiography demonstrated predominantly peripheral embolic involvement (58.0%). According to early mortality risk stratification, 5.4% of patients were classified as high risk and 19.6% as intermediate-high risk. The in-hospital and 30-day mortality rates were 7.1% and 12.5%, respectively. Mortality was significantly associated with advanced age, comorbidities, severe pneumonia, thrombocytopenia, elevated lactate dehydrogenase and ferritin levels, high/intermediate-high risk classification, intensive care unit admission, and invasive mechanical ventilation. Multivariate logistic regression identified thrombocytopenia as an independent predictor of 30-day mortality (OR 10.11, 95% CI 1.49-68.92; p=0.01).
Conclusion: PE commonly develops during the early phase of COVID-19 and may occur despite thromboprophylaxis. Early recognition and individualized risk-adapted.

Keywords : COVID-19, pulmonary embolism, biomarkers, thrombosis, mortality

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Ethical Statement

This study was conducted with the approval of the Non-interventional Ethics Committee of Sakarya University (Date: 29.01.2021, Decision No: E-71522473-050.01.04-6095). 

Informed Consent

As this was a retrospective study, formal written informed consent was not required and was therefore not obtained. This retrospective study used pre-existing anonymized patient data. No additional intervention was performed, and there was no direct patient contact. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee, and the requirement for written informed consent was waived by the ethics committee.

Author Contributions

Concept: AŞ; Design: AŞ, YA, NO; Supervision: AŞ; Resources: AŞ, YA, DÖ, PAK, YS, HB, MOT, EA, FB, PYG, CS, SA, MAD, NF, AÇ, PM, ÜAA; Materials: AŞ, YA; Data Collection and/or Processing: AŞ, YA, DÖ, PAK, YS, HB, MOT, EA, FB, PYG, CS, SA, MAD, NF, AÇ, PM, ÜAA; Analysis and/or Interpretation: AŞ, YA; Literature Review: AŞ, NO; Article Writing: AŞ, NO; Critical Review: AŞ, YA, NO.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest related to this study.

Financial Disclosure

The authors received no financial support for the conduct or publication of this research.

Editor Note

Nalan Ogan is a member of the Editorial Board of this journal. She was not involved in the editor assignment, reviewer selection, peer review process, or editorial decision for this manuscript. The peer review process was managed independently by another editor.


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Article available in :
Volume 4, Issue 4, 2026
Page : 111-117
https://doi.org/10.51271/JOPIC-0090
Article Information
Received : 20 Tem 2026
Accepted : 20 Eki 2026
Published : 28 Eki 2026
Corresponding Author :

Nalan Ogan: Deparment of Chest Diseases, Ankara Etlik City Hospital, Ankara, Turkiye

[email protected]
Citation : Şengül A, Aydemir Y, Özaydın D, et al. Clinical characteristics and mortality risk factors in COVID-19 patients with pulmonary embolism. J Pulmonol Intens Care. 2026;4(4):111-117. doi:10.51271/JOPIC-0090

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