Dataset Information

Impact of the COVID-19 Outbreak on Emergency Care Utilization in Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction: a Nationwide Population-based Study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted various aspects of daily living and has influenced the life of every individual in a unique way. Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is associated with high morbidity and mortality; thus, timely treatment is crucial to prevent poor prognosis. Therefore, an immediate emergency department (ED) visit is required; however, no domestic studies have reported the effect of COVID-19 on ED visits by patients with AMI. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the changes in the pattern of ED visits by patients with AMI by comparing visits during the COVID-19 outbreak period to those during two control periods.

Methods

This nationwide, retrospective study used registry data of the National Emergency Department Information System. The 'outbreak period' was defined as the period between February 21, 2020 and April 1, 2020, while the 'control period' was defined as the same time period in the preceding two years (2018 and 2019). The primary outcome of our study was the number of patients admitted to the ED owing to AMI during the outbreak and control periods. Secondary outcomes were time from symptom onset to ED visit, length of ED stay, and 30-day mortality following admission.

Results

During the outbreak period, 401,378 patients visited the ED; this number was lower than that during the control periods (2018: 577,548; 2019: 598,514). The number of patients with AMI visiting the ED was lower during the outbreak period (2,221) than during 2018 (2,437) and 2019 (2,591).

Conclusion

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a reduction in ED visits by patients with AMI. We assume that this could likely be caused by misinterpretation of AMI symptoms as symptoms of respiratory infection, fear of contracting severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, and restrictions in accessing emergency medical care owing to overburdened healthcare facilities. This study sheds light on the fact that healthcare and emergency medical staff members must work towards eliminating hurdles due to this pandemic for patients to receive timely emergency care, which in turn will help curb the growing burden of mortality.

SUBMITTER: Sung HK

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8076842 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Similar Datasets

Project description:The objectives of this study were to determine concordance of emergency department (ED) management of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) with guideline recommendations and to identify ED and patient characteristics predictive of higher guideline concordance.The authors conducted a chart review study of ED AMI care as part of the National Emergency Department Safety Study (NEDSS). Using a primary hospital discharge diagnosis of AMI (International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification [ICD-9-CM], codes 410.XX), a random sample of ED visits for AMI in 58 urban EDs across 20 U.S. states between 2003 and 2006 were identified. Concordance with American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) guideline recommendations was evaluated using five individual quality measures and a composite concordance score. Concordance scores were calculated as the percentage of eligible patients who received guidelines-recommended care. These percentage scores were rescaled from 0 to 100, with 100 indicating perfect concordance.The cohort consisted of 3,819 subjects; their median age was 65 years, and 62% were men. The mean (± standard deviation [SD]) ED composite concordance score was 61?±?8), with a broad range of values (42 to 84). Except for aspirin use (mean concordance, 82), ED concordance scores were low (beta-blocker use, 56; timely electrocardiogram [ECG], 41; timely fibrinolytic therapy, 26; timely ED disposition for primary percutaneous coronary intervention [PCI] candidates, 43). In multivariable analyses, older age (beta-coefficient per 10-year increase, -1.5; 95% confidence interval [CI]?=?-2.4 to -0.5) and southern EDs (beta-coefficient, -5.2; 95% CI?=?-9.6 to -0.9) were associated with lower guideline concordance, whereas ST-segment elevation on initial ED ECG was associated with higher guideline concordance (beta-coefficient, 3.6; 95% CI?= 1.5 to 5.7).Overall ED concordance with guideline-recommended processes of care was low to moderate. Emergency physicians should continue to work with other stakeholders in AMI care, such as emergency medical services (EMS) and cardiologists, to develop strategies to improve care processes.

Project description:BACKGROUND:People living in rural areas usually suffer comparatively disadvantaged emergency health care than those living in urban areas, reasons including long transit time due to geographic factors. As for many time critical diseases, it is necessary to obtain treatment as quickly as possible. METHODS:Screening of eligible studies were conducted based on inclusion an exclusion criteria. A comprehensive search was conducted by using following database: EMBASE, Medline, Cochrane library and Scopus. Quality assessment tool for observational cohort and cross-sectional study is used for assessing the risk of bias. The time group were defined based on the median or mean transit time among patients. In symptom onset-balloon time, we take 120?min transit time as the standard so patients in included studies are divided into two groups:less than 120?min (group A) and more than 120?min (group B). The collected data were used for quantitative analysis, they were inputted into Review Manager Software (v5.3) to produce summary results. RESULTS:Ten studies representing 71,099 patients were included in the meta-analysis. All studies were retrospective and prospective observational studies and RCTs in which patients experienced ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and were treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Random effects meta-analysis of the point estimate was 0.69 (CI 0.60, 0.79). Heterogeneity between study results was evaluated via examination of the forest plots and quantified by using I2 statistic. Heterogeneity in two stage time was moderate among studies (I2 =?29%, P =?0.23). CONCLUSION:The meta-analysis for included studies report less mortality in less than 120?min symptom onset-balloon and door-balloon time than that in more than 120?min. It is necessary to optimize the prehospital system for rapid decision making and logical destination and mode of transport with prehospital notification of the cath lab so that the hospital is ready to optimize door to balloon time.