Low in‑hospital mortality rate in patients with COVID‑19 receiving thromboprophylaxis: data from the multicentre observational START‑COVID Register

Abstract COVID-19 infection causes respiratory pathology with severe interstitial pneumonia and extra-pulmonary complications; in particular, it may predispose to thromboembolic disease. The current guidelines recommend the use of thromboprophylaxis in patients with COVID-19, however, the optimal heparin dosage treatment is not well-established. We conducted a multicentre, Italian, retrospective, observational study on COVID-19 patients admitted to ordinary wards, to describe clinical characteristic of patients at admission, bleeding and thrombotic events occurring during hospital stay. The strategies used for thromboprophylaxis and its role on patient outcome were, also, described. 1091 patients hospitalized were included in the START-COVID-19 Register. During hospital stay, 769 (70.7%) patients were treated with antithrombotic drugs: low molecular weight heparin (the great majority enoxaparin), fondaparinux, or unfractioned heparin. These patients were more frequently affected by comorbidities, such as hypertension, atrial fibrillation, previous thromboembolism, neurological disease,and cancer with respect to patients who did not receive thromboprophylaxis. During hospital stay, 1.2% patients had a major bleeding event. All patients were treated with antithrombotic drugs; 5.4%, had venous thromboembolism [30.5% deep vein thrombosis (DVT), 66.1% pulmonary embolism (PE), and 3.4% patients had DVT + PE]. In our cohort the mortality rate was 18.3%. Heparin use was independently associated with survival in patients aged ≥ 59 years at multivariable analysis. We confirmed the high mortality rate of COVID-19 in hospitalized patients in ordinary wards. Treatment with antithrombotic drugs is significantly associated with a reduction of mortality rates especially in patients older than 59 years

Clinical features and outcomes of elderly hospitalised patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart failure or both

Background and objective: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and heart failure (HF) mutually increase the risk of being present in the same patient, especially if older. Whether or not this coexistence may be associated with a worse prognosis is debated. Therefore, employing data derived from the REPOSI register, we evaluated the clinical features and outcomes in a population of elderly patients admitted to internal medicine wards and having COPD, HF or COPD + HF. Methods: We measured socio-demographic and anthropometric characteristics, severity and prevalence of comorbidities, clinical and laboratory features during hospitalization, mood disorders, functional independence, drug prescriptions and discharge destination. The primary study outcome was the risk of death. Results: We considered 2,343 elderly hospitalized patients (median age 81 years), of whom 1,154 (49%) had COPD, 813 (35%) HF, and 376 (16%) COPD + HF. Patients with COPD + HF had different characteristics than those with COPD or HF, such as a higher prevalence of previous hospitalizations, comorbidities (especially chronic kidney disease), higher respiratory rate at admission and number of prescribed drugs. Patients with COPD + HF (hazard ratio HR 1.74, 95% confidence intervals CI 1.16-2.61) and patients with dementia (HR 1.75, 95% CI 1.06-2.90) had a higher risk of death at one year. The Kaplan-Meier curves showed a higher mortality risk in the group of patients with COPD + HF for all causes (p = 0.010), respiratory causes (p = 0.006), cardiovascular causes (p = 0.046) and respiratory plus cardiovascular causes (p = 0.009). Conclusion: In this real-life cohort of hospitalized elderly patients, the coexistence of COPD and HF significantly worsened prognosis at one year. This finding may help to better define the care needs of this population

Polypharmacy in older people: lessons from 10 years of experience with the REPOSI register

reserved361siAs a consequence of population aging, we have witnessed in internal medicine hospital wards a progressive shift from a population of in-patients relatively young and mainly affected by a single ailment to one of ever older and more and more complex patients with multiple chronic diseases, followed as out-patients by many different specialists with poor integration and inevitably treated with multiple medications. Polypharmacy (defined as the chronic intake of five or more drugs) is associated with increased risks of drug-drug interactions and related adverse effects, prescription and intake errors, poor compliance, re-hospitalization and mortality. With this background, the Italian Society of Internal Medicine chose to start in 2008 a prospective register called REPOSI (REgistro POliterapie SIMI, Società Italiana di Medicina Interna) in internal medicine and geriatric hospital wards. The country wide register is an ongoing observatory on multimorbidity and polypharmacy in the oldest old, with the goal to improve prescription appropriateness and, thus to avoid potentially inappropriate medications. The main findings of the register, that has accrued so far, 7005 older patients throughout a 10 year period, are summarized herewith, with special emphasis on the main patterns of poor prescription appropriateness and related risks of adverse events.mixedMannucci PM, Nobili A, Pasina L; Tettamanti M, Franchi C, Corrao S, Marengoni A, Salerno F, Cesari M, Perticone F, Licata G, Violi F, Corazza GR, Franchi C, Cortesi L, Tettamanti M, Cortesi L, Ardoino I, Prisco D, Silvestri E, Cenci C, Emmi G, Biolo G, Zanetti M, Guadagni M, Zaccari M, Vanoli M, Grignani G, Pulixi EA, Bernardi M, Bassi SL, Santi L, Zaccherini G, Mannarino E, Lupattelli G, Bianconi V, Paciullo F, Nuti R, Valenti R, Ruvio M, Cappelli S, Palazzuoli A, Olivieri O, Girelli D, Matteazzi T, Barbagallo M, Dominguez L, Cocita F, Beneduce V, Plances L, Zoli M, Lazzari I, Brunori M, Pasini FL, Capecchi PL, Palasciano G, Modeo ME, Di Gennaro C, Cappellini MD, Maira D, Di Stefano V, Fabio G, Seghezzi S, Mancarella M, Cesari M, Rossi PD, Damanti S, Clerici M, Conti F, Corazza GR, Miceli E, Lenti MV, Pisati M, Dominioni CC, Murialdo G, Marra A, Cattaneo F, Secchi MB, Ghelfi D, Anastasio L, Sofia L, Carbone M, Cipollone F, Guagnano MT, Angelucci E, Valeriani E, Mancuso G, Calipari D, Bartone M, Delitala G, Berria M, Muscaritoli M, Molfino A, Petrillo E, Zuccalà G, D'Aurizio G, Romanelli G, Marengoni A, Zucchelli A, Picardi A, Gentilucci UV, Gallo P, Dell'Unto C, Annoni G, Corsi M, Bellelli G, Zazzetta S, Mazzola P, Szabo H, Bonfanti A, Arturi F, Succurro E, Rubino M, Serra MG, Bleve MA, Gasbarrone L, Sajeva MR, Brucato A, Ghidoni S, Fabris F, Bertozzi I, Bogoni G, Rabuini MV, Cosi E, Manfredini R, Fabbian F, Boari B, De Giorgi A, Tiseo R, Paolisso G, Rizzo MR, Borghi C, Strocchi E, De Sando V, Pareo I, Sabbà C, Vella FS, Suppressa P, Agosti P, Schilardi A, Loparco F, Fenoglio L, Bracco C, Giraudo AV, Fargion S, Periti G, Porzio M, Tiraboschi S, Peyvandi F, Rossio R, Ferrari B, Colombo G, Monzani V, Savojardo V, Folli C, Ceriani G, Salerno F, Pallini G, Dallegri F, Ottonello L, Liberale L, Caserza L, Salam K, Liberato NL, Tognin T, Bianchi GB, Giaquinto S, Purrello F, Di Pino A, Piro S, Rozzini R, Falanga L, Spazzini E, Ferrandina C, Montrucchio G, Petitti P, Salmi R, Gaudenzi P, Violi F, Perri L, Landolfi R, Montalto M, Mirijello A, Guasti L, Castiglioni L, Maresca A, Squizzato A, Molaro M, Grossi A, Bertolotti M, Mussi C, Libbra MV, Dondi G, Pellegrini E, Carulli L, Perticone F, Colangelo L, Falbo T, Stanghellini V, De Giorgio R, Ruggeri E, Del Vecchio S, Salvi A, Leonardi R, Damiani G, Gabrielli A, Capeci W, Mattioli M, Martino GP, Biondi L, Pettinari P, Ghio R, Col AD, Minisola S, Colangelo L, Afeltra A, Marigliano B, Pipita ME, Castellino P, Blanco J, Zanoli L, Pignataro S, Saracco V, Fogliati M, Bussolino C, Mete F, Gino M, Cittadini A, Vigorito C, Arcopinto M, Salzano A, Bobbio E, Marra AM, Sirico D, Moreo G, Gasparini F, Prolo S, Pina G, Ballestrero A, Ferrando F, Berra S, Dassi S, Nava MC, Graziella B, Baldassarre S, Fragapani S, Gruden G, Galanti G, Mascherini G, Petri C, Stefani L, Girino M, Piccinelli V, Nasso F, Gioffrè V, Pasquale M, Scattolin G, Martinelli S, Turrin M, Sechi L, Catena C, Colussi G, Passariello N, Rinaldi L, Berti F, Famularo G, Patrizia T, Castello R, Pasino M, Ceda GP, Maggio MG, Morganti S, Artoni A, Del Giacco S, Firinu D, Losa F, Paoletti G, Montalto G, Licata A, Malerba V, Antonino L, Basile G, Antonino C, Malatino L, Stancanelli B, Terranova V, Di Marca S, Mecocci P, Ruggiero C, Boccardi V, Meschi T, Lauretani F, Ticinesi A, Minuz P, Fondrieschi L, Pirisi M, Fra GP, Sola D, Porta M, Riva P, Quadri R, Scanzi G, Mengoli C, Provini S, Ricevuti L, Simeone E, Scurti R, Tolloso F, Tarquini R, Valoriani A, Dolenti S, Vannini G, Tedeschi A, Trotta L, Volpi R, Bocchi P, Vignali A, Harari S, Lonati C, Cattaneo M, Nieves RD, Alberto MM, Pedro AR, Vanessa LP, Lara T, Xavier CV, Francesc F, Jesus DM, Esperanza BT, Esther DCB, Maria SP, Romero M, Blanca PL, Cristina LG, Victoria VGM, Saez L, Bosco J, Susana SB, Marta AG, Concepcion GB, Antonio FM, Hernandez MG, Borrego MP, Raquel PC, Florencia PR, Beatriz GO, Sara CG, Alfonso GC, Marta PM, Garcia SC, Alberto RC, Antonio AA, Montserrat GG, Ángel BRM, Manuel MJ, Ignacio NV, Lucía AS, Alfonso L, David RB, Iria IV, Monica RP.Mannucci, Pm; Nobili, A; Pasina, L; Tettamanti, M; Franchi, C; Corrao, S; Marengoni, A; Salerno, F; Cesari, M; Perticone, F; Licata, G; Violi, F; Corazza, Gr; Franchi, C; Cortesi, L; Tettamanti, M; Cortesi, L; Ardoino, I; Prisco, D; Silvestri, E; Cenci, C; Emmi, G; Biolo, G; Zanetti, M; Guadagni, M; Zaccari, M; Vanoli, M; Grignani, G; Pulixi, Ea; Bernardi, M; Bassi, Sl; Santi, L; Zaccherini, G; Mannarino, E; Lupattelli, G; Bianconi, V; Paciullo, F; Nuti, R; Valenti, R; Ruvio, M; Cappelli, S; Palazzuoli, A; Olivieri, O; Girelli, D; Matteazzi, T; Barbagallo, M; Dominguez, L; Cocita, F; Beneduce, V; Plances, L; Zoli, M; Lazzari, I; Brunori, M; Pasini, Fl; Capecchi, Pl; Palasciano, G; Modeo, Me; Di Gennaro, C; Cappellini, Md; Maira, D; Di Stefano, V; Fabio, G; Seghezzi, S; Mancarella, M; Cesari, M; Rossi, Pd; Damanti, S; Clerici, M; Conti, F; Corazza, Gr; Miceli, E; Lenti, Mv; Pisati, M; Dominioni, Cc; Murialdo, G; Marra, A; Cattaneo, F; Secchi, Mb; Ghelfi, D; Anastasio, L; Sofia, L; Carbone, M; Cipollone, F; Guagnano, Mt; Angelucci, E; Valeriani, E; Mancuso, G; Calipari, D; Bartone, M; Delitala, G; Berria, M; Muscaritoli, M; Molfino, A; Petrillo, E; Zuccalà, G; D'Aurizio, G; Romanelli, G; Marengoni, A; Zucchelli, A; Picardi, A; Gentilucci, Uv; Gallo, P; Dell'Unto, C; Annoni, G; Corsi, M; Bellelli, G; Zazzetta, S; Mazzola, P; Szabo, H; Bonfanti, A; Arturi, F; Succurro, E; Rubino, M; Serra, Mg; Bleve, Ma; Gasbarrone, L; Sajeva, Mr; Brucato, A; Ghidoni, S; Fabris, F; Bertozzi, I; Bogoni, G; Rabuini, Mv; Cosi, E; Manfredini, R; Fabbian, F; Boari, B; De Giorgi, A; Tiseo, R; Paolisso, G; Rizzo, Mr; Borghi, C; Strocchi, E; De Sando, V; Pareo, I; Sabbà, C; Vella, Fs; Suppressa, P; Agosti, P; Schilardi, A; Loparco, F; Fenoglio, L; Bracco, C; Giraudo, Av; Fargion, S; Periti, G; Porzio, M; Tiraboschi, S; Peyvandi, F; Rossio, R; Ferrari, B; Colombo, G; Monzani, V; Savojardo, V; Folli, C; Ceriani, G; Salerno, F; Pallini, G; Dallegri, F; Ottonello, L; Liberale, L; Caserza, L; Salam, K; Liberato, Nl; Tognin, T; Bianchi, Gb; Giaquinto, S; Purrello, F; Di Pino, A; Piro, S; Rozzini, R; Falanga, L; Spazzini, E; Ferrandina, C; Montrucchio, G; Petitti, P; Salmi, R; Gaudenzi, P; Violi, F; Perri, L; Landolfi, R; Montalto, M; Mirijello, A; Guasti, L; Castiglioni, L; Maresca, A; Squizzato, A; Molaro, M; Grossi, A; Bertolotti, M; Mussi, C; Libbra, Mv; Dondi, G; Pellegrini, E; Carulli, L; Perticone, F; Colangelo, L; Falbo, T; Stanghellini, V; De Giorgio, R; Ruggeri, E; Del Vecchio, S; Salvi, A; Leonardi, R; Damiani, G; Gabrielli, A; Capeci, W; Mattioli, M; Martino, Gp; Biondi, L; Pettinari, P; Ghio, R; Col, Ad; Minisola, S; Colangelo, L; Afeltra, A; Marigliano, B; Pipita, Me; Castellino, P; Blanco, J; Zanoli, L; Pignataro, S; Saracco, V; Fogliati, M; Bussolino, C; Mete, F; Gino, M; Cittadini, A; Vigorito, C; Arcopinto, M; Salzano, A; Bobbio, E; Marra, Am; Sirico, D; Moreo, G; Gasparini, F; Prolo, S; Pina, G; Ballestrero, A; Ferrando, F; Berra, S; Dassi, S; Nava, Mc; Graziella, B; Baldassarre, S; Fragapani, S; Gruden, G; Galanti, G; Mascherini, G; Petri, C; Stefani, L; Girino, M; Piccinelli, V; Nasso, F; Gioffrè, V; Pasquale, M; Scattolin, G; Martinelli, S; Turrin, M; Sechi, L; Catena, C; Colussi, G; Passariello, N; Rinaldi, L; Berti, F; Famularo, G; Patrizia, T; Castello, R; Pasino, M; Ceda, Gp; Maggio, Mg; Morganti, S; Artoni, A; Del Giacco, S; Firinu, D; Losa, F; Paoletti, G; Montalto, G; Licata, A; Malerba, V; Antonino, L; Basile, G; Antonino, C; Malatino, L; Stancanelli, B; Terranova, V; Di Marca, S; Mecocci, P; Ruggiero, C; Boccardi, V; Meschi, T; Lauretani, F; Ticinesi, A; Minuz, P; Fondrieschi, L; Pirisi, M; Fra, Gp; Sola, D; Porta, M; Riva, P; Quadri, R; Scanzi, G; Mengoli, C; Provini, S; Ricevuti, L; Simeone, E; Scurti, R; Tolloso, F; Tarquini, R; Valoriani, A; Dolenti, S; Vannini, G; Tedeschi, A; Trotta, L; Volpi, R; Bocchi, P; Vignali, A; Harari, S; Lonati, C; Cattaneo, M; Nieves, Rd; Alberto, Mm; Pedro, Ar; Vanessa, Lp; Lara, T; Xavier, Cv; Francesc, F; Jesus, Dm; Esperanza, Bt; Esther, Dcb; Maria, Sp; Romero, M; Blanca, Pl; Cristina, Lg; Victoria, Vgm; Saez, L; Bosco, J; Susana, Sb; Marta, Ag; Concepcion, Gb; Antonio, Fm; Hernandez, Mg; Borrego, Mp; Raquel, Pc; Florencia, Pr; Beatriz, Go; Sara, Cg; Alfonso, Gc; Marta, Pm; Garcia, Sc; Alberto, Rc; Antonio, Aa; Montserrat, Gg; Ángel, Brm; Manuel, Mj; Ignacio, Nv; Lucía, As; Alfonso, L; David, Rb; Iria, Iv; Monica, Rp