Comparative retrospective analysis of the prevalence of deep vein thrombosis detected by duplex ultrasound in primary health care facilities

Abstract

Aim. To identify the incidence of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) as determined by compressive duplex ultrasound in primary health care facilities before and during the pandemic of a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).Material and methods. This retrospective analysis of 1492 duplex ultrasound examinations in 2018 and 1710 examinations in 2020-2021 in patients with suspected lower limb DVT was performed. The studies were carried out in 4 primary health care institutions in different cities of the Republic of Uzbekistan. Each patient underwent duplex ultrasound of lower limb deep veins. Most patients had complaints (swelling, leg pain) (symptomatic patients), while some individuals underwent preventive screening before various surgical interventions and had no complaints (asymptomatic patients).Results. According to the data obtained, the prevalence of DVT increased significantly during the pandemic — from 3,9 to 15,1% (χ2=113,23, p<0,001). During the pandemic, there was a trend towards a relative increase in lower limb DVT among the elderly and young people — by 8,7 and 3,8%, respectively (χ2=1,66, p=0,19 and χ2=0,64, p=0,42, respectively). No dependence of the prevalence of lower limb DVT on the sex was found (χ2=0,02, r=0,9).Conclusion. The study results showed an increase in the prevalence of lower limb DVT during the COVID-19 pandemic. Further clinical studies are needed to analyze the lower limb DVT during this period.