Dataset Information

Implications of COVID-19 on time-sensitive STEMI care: A report from a North American epicenter.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has forced dramatic changes to the healthcare systems throughout the world. Time-sensitive management of cardiovascular emergencies such as ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) has yet to be evaluated in the context of these new policies, particularly in so-called "hot spot" cities.

Methods

We evaluated the early impact of the pandemic on STEMI performance in the Greater Montreal Area. A total of 167 patients from 3 different study periods were included. Patients presenting in the lockdown period from mid-March to mid-May 2020 (Group C, 53 patients) were compared to those from mid-March to mid-May 2019 (Group A, 60 patients) and the 2020 pre-COVID-19 period (Group B, 54 patients).

Results

The number of STEMI admissions was unaffected during the lockdown. However, significantly longer delays between symptom onset and first medical contact (FMC) were noted (Group C 189.0 IQR [70.0, 840.0] min vs. Group A 103.0 IQR [42.5, 263.0] min vs. Group B 91.0 IQR [38.0, 235.5 min], P = 0.007). In contrast, additional safety protocols do not appear to have significantly affected delays between FMC and first intracoronary device activation (Group C 102 IQR [73.0, 133.0] min vs. Group A 104 IQR [87.0, 146.0] min vs. Group B 99.5 IQR [80.0, 150.0] min, P = 0.37). Patients that presented during the outbreak were more likely to be unstable with a higher incidence of Killip classes II-IV compared to groups A and B (28.3% vs. 18.3% vs. 5.6% respectively, P = 0.008). Worse in-hospital outcomes were also noted with a significantly higher rate of major adverse cardiac events (Group A 5.0% vs. Group B 11.1% vs. Group C 22.6%, P = 0.007).

Conclusion

During the lockdown period, many patients appear to have been reluctant to present to hospitals. This was associated with more unstable STEMI presentations and worse in-hospital course. Importantly, the health care system appears able to ensure timely acute cardiac care while ensuring that COVID-19 protocols are respected.

SUBMITTER: Haddad K

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7501080 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:The novel coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has resulted in a global pandemic. Patients with cardiovascular risk factors or established cardiovascular disease are more likely to experience severe or critical COVID-19 illness and myocardial injury is a key extra-pulmonary manifestation. These patients frequently present with ST-elevation on an electrocardiogram (ECG) due to multiple etiologies including obstructive, non-obstructive, and/or angiographically normal coronary arteries. The incidence of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) mimics in COVID-19-positive hospitalized patients, and the association with morbidity and mortality is unknown. Understanding the natural history and appropriate management of COVID-19 patients presenting with ST elevation is essential to inform patient management decisions and protect healthcare workers. Methods:The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) and The Canadian Association of Interventional Cardiology (CAIC) in conjunction with the American College of Cardiology Interventional Council have collaborated to create a multi-center observational registry, NACMI. This registry will enroll confirmed COVID-19 patients and persons under investigation (PUI) with new ST-segment elevation or new onset left bundle branch block (LBBB) on the ECG with clinical suspicion of myocardial ischemia. We will compare demographics, clinical findings, outcomes and management of these patients with a historical control group of over 15,000 consecutive STEMI activation patients from the Midwest STEMI Consortium using propensity matching. The primary clinical outcome will be in- hospital major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) defined as composite of all-cause mortality, stroke, recurrent MI, and repeat unplanned revascularization in COVID-19 confirmed or PUI. Secondary outcomes will include the following: reporting of etiologies of ST Elevation; cardiovascular mortality due to myocardial infarction, cardiac arrest and /or shock; individual components of the primary outcome; composite primary outcome at 1 year; as well as ECG and angiographic characteristics. Conclusion:The multicenter NACMI registry will collect data regarding ST elevation on ECG in COVID-19 patients to determine the etiology and associated clinical outcomes. The collaboration and speed with which this registry has been created, refined, and promoted serves as a template for future research endeavors.