Outcomes and Patterns of Evolution of Patients with Hematological Malignancies during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Nationwide Study (2020-2022)

• Published in: Journal of clinical medicine 2024-09, Vol.13 (18), p.5400
• Main Authors: Garcia-Carretero, Rafael, Ordoñez-Garcia, Maria, Gil-Prieto, Ruth, Gil-de-Miguel, Angel
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Chronic illnesses; Comorbid patients; Complications and side effects; COVID-19; Diabetes; Disease prevention; Epidemics; Epidemiology; Fatalities; Hematology; Hospitalization; Hospitals; Hypertension; Intensive care; Leukemia; Lymphoma; Lymphomas; Mortality; Multiple myeloma; Pandemics; Patient outcomes; Patients; Population; Prognosis; Risk factors; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Variables
• ISSN: 2077-0383; 2077-0383
• DOI: 10.3390/jcm13185400

: Early reports suggest that hematological malignancy (HM) is a relevant risk factor for morbidity and mortality in COVID-19. We investigated the characteristics, outcomes, and risk factors for mortality in patients hospitalized with HM and COVID-19. : We conducted a retrospective, nationwide study using data from hospitalized patients that were provided by the Spanish Ministry of Health including all patients admitted to a Spanish hospital from 2020 to 2022 with a COVID-19 diagnosis. A descriptive analysis and correlational analyses were conducted. Logistic regression was used to assess mortality in these patients and to calculate odds ratios (ORs). : We collected data on 1.2 million patients with COVID-19, including 34,962 patients with HMs. The incidence of hospitalization for patients with HMs was 5.8%, and the overall mortality rate was higher than for patients without HMs (19.8% versus 12.7%, = 0.001). Mortality rates were higher for patients with lymphomas, multiple myelomas, and leukemias than for those with myeloproliferative disorders. Having HMs was a risk factor for mortality, with OR = 1.7 (95% CI 1.66-1.75, = 0.001). By subtype, non-Hodgkin lymphomas were the highest risk factor for mortality (OR = 1.7), followed by leukemias (OR = 1.6), Hodgkin lymphomas (OR = 1.58), and plasma cell dyscrasias (OR = 1.24). : This study identifies the different clinical profiles of patients with HMs who are at a high risk for mortality when hospitalized with COVID-19. As members of a vulnerable population, these patients deserve special prophylactic and therapeutic measures to minimize the effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection.