Decrease in cardiac catheterization and MI during COVID pandemic

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ahjo.2020.100001Get rights and content
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Highlights

  • This study documents the actual drop in all activity in the Catheter laboratory (48.5% drop), 29% drop in STEMI, 40% drop in NSTEMI and 83% in urgent elective work in a single hospital in England, over a 10-week COVID peak period (23rd March- 30th May 2020), compared to the same months in 2019.

  • The actual drop in all activities in the Catheter laboratory highlights the impact on clinical practice and challenges in post-COVID resumption of services.

  • Results from this study should encourage the wider review of national UK data to document the final consequence of COVID-19 on all cardiac outcomes as well as informing the potential economic consequences for the eventual restoration of cardiac services.

Abstract

The consequences of severe acute viral respiratory syndrome (COVID 19) pandemic include collateral effects, one of which has been the significant reduction in routine hospital work. With widespread reports indicating reduction of cardiac procedures including MI presentation to hospitals, we aimed to analyze the local data over a 10-week period during lockdown in a tertiary cardiac centre Catheter Laboratory in England.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective review of the coronary catheterisation procedures and admissions with MI over the peak COVID-19 pandemic 10-week period (23rd March-30th May) in 2020, compared with the same 10-week period (25th March-2nd June) in 2019.

Results

In 2019, 539 patients were admitted to the Cath lab for coronary catheterisation (M = 385:F = 154; mean age 65 years; STEMI = 186, NSTEMI = 192, elective = 161). In 2020, during peak period of COVID19 pandemic in England, a total of 278 patients were admitted for coronary catheterisation over the 10-week period (M = 201:F = 77; mean age 60.5 years; STEMI = 132, NSTEMI = 118, elective = 28). During peak COVID19 pandemic, this represents a 48.4% drop in all coronary catheterisations. The reduction in STEMI was 29% (54 less), in NSTEMI was 38.9% (74 less) and elective procedures dropped by 83% (133 less).

Conclusion

During peak COVID hospital admission period in England, we report a 48.5% reduction in coronary catheterisation in our tertiary hospital. These results are consistent with reports from other countries, and highlight the worrying potential consequences for these patients arising from delays in presentation with MI, and the challenges for restoring services post-pandemic.

Keywords

STEMI
NSTEMI
COVID-19
PCI

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