Introduction: Hospitalized patients with COVID-19 are at increased risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE), but also for bleeding. We previously derived a prognostic score including four variables (elevated D-dimer, elevated ferritin, critical illness, and therapeutic-dose anticoagulation) that identified those at increased risk for major bleeding. Methods: We aimed to validate the score in a subsequent cohort of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 receiving standard-, intermediate- or therapeutic doses of VTE prophylaxis. We evaluated its capacity to predict major bleeding, non-major bleeding, and bleeding-related death. Results: The cohort included 972 patients from 29 hospitals, of whom 280 (29%) received standard-; 412 (42%) intermediate-, 157 (16%) therapeutic doses of VTE prophylaxis and 123 (13%) other drugs. Median duration of prophylaxis was 14.7 ± 10.3 days. Major bleeding occurred in 65 patients (6.7%) and non-major bleeding in 67 (6.9%). Thirty patients with major bleeding (46%) died within the first 30 days after bleeding. The prognostic score identified 203 patients (21%) at very low risk, 285 (29%) at low risk, 263 (27%) intermediate-risk and 221 (23%) at high risk for bleeding. Major bleeding occurred in 1.0%, 2.1%, 8.7% and 15.4% of the patients, respectively. Non-major bleeding occurred in 0.5%, 3.5%, 9.5% and 14.2%, respectively. The c-statistics was: 0.74 (95% confidence intervals [CI]: 0.68–0.79) for major bleeding, 0.73 (95% CI: 0.67–0.78) for non-major bleeding and 0.82 (95% CI: 0.76–0.87) for bleeding-related death. Conclusions: In hospitalized patients with COVID-19, we validated that a prognostic score including 4 easily available items may identify those at increased risk for bleeding.

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Aims: Little is known about the prognosis of patients with massive pulmonary embolism (PE) and its risk of recurrent venous thromboembolism (VTE) compared with non-massive PE, which may inform clinical decisions. Our aim was to compare the risk of recurrent VTE, bleeding, and mortality after massive and non-massive PE during anticoagulation and after its discontinuation. Methods and results: We included all participants in the RIETE registry who suffered a symptomatic, objectively confirmed segmental or more central PE. Massive PE was defined by a systolic hypotension at clinical presentation (<90 mm Hg). We compared the risks of recurrent VTE, major bleeding, and mortality using time-toevent multivariable competing risk modeling. There were 3.5% of massive PE among 38 996 patients with PE. During the anticoagulation period, massive PE was associated with a greater risk of major bleeding (subhazard ratio [sHR] 1.72, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.28-2.32), but not of recurrent VTE (sHR 1.15, 95% CI 0.75-1.74) than non-massive PE. An increased risk of mortality was only observed in the first month after PE. After discontinuation of anticoagulation, among 11 579 patients, massive PE and non-massive PE had similar risks of mortality, bleeding, and recurrent VTE (sHR 0.85, 95% CI 0.51-1.40), but with different case fatality of recurrent PE (11.1% versus 2.4%, P = .03) and possibly different risk of recurrent fatal PE (sHR 3.65, 95% CI 0.82-16.24). Conclusion: In this large prospective registry, the baseline hemodynamic status of the incident PE did not influence the risk of recurrent VTE, during and after the anticoagulation periods, but was possibly associated with recurrent PE of greater severity.

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BackgroundPatients with venous thromboembolism (VTE) secondary to transient risk factors may develop VTE recurrences after discontinuing anticoagulation. Identifying at‐risk patients could help to guide the duration of therapy.MethodsWe used the RIETE database to assess the prognostic value of d‐dimer testing after discontinuing anticoagulation to identify patients at increased risk for recurrences. Transient risk factors were classified as major (postoperative) or minor (pregnancy, oestrogen use, immobilization or recent travel).ResultsIn December 2018, 1655 VTE patients with transient risk factors (major 460, minor 1195) underwent d‐dimer measurements after discontinuing anticoagulation. Amongst patients with major risk factors, the recurrence rate was 5.74 (95% CI: 3.19–9.57) events per 100 patient‐years in those with raised d‐dimer levels and 2.68 (95% CI: 1.45–4.56) in those with normal levels. Amongst patients with minor risk factors, the rates were 7.79 (95% CI: 5.71–10.4) and 3.34 (95% CI: 2.39–4.53), respectively. Patients with major risk factors and raised d‐dimer levels (n = 171) had a nonsignificantly higher rate of recurrences (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.14; 95% CI: 0.96–4.79) than those with normal levels. Patients with minor risk factors and raised d‐dimer levels (n = 382) had a higher rate of recurrences (HR: 2.34; 95% CI: 1.51–3.63) than those with normal levels. On multivariate analysis, raised d‐dimers (HR: 1.74; 95% CI: 1.09–2.77) were associated with an increased risk for recurrences in patients with minor risk factors, not in those with major risk factors.ConclusionsPatients with raised d‐dimer levels after discontinuing anticoagulant therapy for VTE provoked by a minor transient risk factor were at an increased risk for recurrences.