Screening for psychosocial risk in caregivers of children with medical complexity during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: The primary objective was to quantify psychosocial risk in family caregivers (FCs) of children with medical complexity (CMC) during the COVID-19 pandemic using the Psychosocial Assessment Tool (PAT). The secondary objectives were to compare this finding with the average PAT score of this population before the COVID-19 pandemic and to examine potential clinical predictors of psychosocial risk in FCs of CMC. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. PARTICIPANTS: FCs of CMC were recruited from the Long-Term Ventilation Clinic at The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. A total of 91 completed the demographic and PAT questionnaires online from 10 June 2021 through 13 December 2021. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Mean PAT scores in FCs were categorised as 'Universal' low risk, 'Targeted' intermediate risk or 'Clinical' high risk. The effect of sociodemographic and clinical variables on overall PAT scores was assessed using multiple linear regression analysis. Comparisons with a previous study were made using Mann-Whitney tests and χ2 analysis. RESULTS: Mean (SD) PAT score was 1.34 (0.69). Thirty-one (34%) caregivers were classified as Universal, 43 (47%) as Targeted and 17 (19%) as Clinical. The mean PAT score (1.34) was significantly higher compared with the mean PAT score (1.17) found prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Multiple linear regression analysis demonstrated an overall significant model, with the number of hospital admissions since the onset of COVID-19 being the only variable associated with the overall PAT score. CONCLUSION: FCs of CMC are experiencing significant psychosocial stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. Timely and effective interventions are warranted to ensure these individuals receive the appropriate support.

Impact of COVID-19 on Acute Myocardial Infarction Care.

The global health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has evolved rapidly to overburden health care organizations around the world and has resulted in significant morbidity and mortality. Many countries have reported a substantial and rapid reduction in hospital admissions for acute coronary syndromes and percutaneous coronary intervention. The reasons for such abrupt changes in health care delivery are multifactorial and include lockdowns, reduction in outpatient services, reluctance to seek medical attention for fear of contracting the virus, and restrictive visitation policies adopted during the pandemic. This review discusses the impact of COVID-19 on important aspects of acute MI care.

Exploring the experience of family caregivers of children with medical complexity during COVID-19: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Children with medical complexity have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated changes in healthcare delivery. The primary objective of this study was to gain a thorough understanding of the lived experiences of family caregivers of children with medical complexity during the pandemic. METHODS: We conducted semi-structured interviews with family caregivers of children with medical complexity from a tertiary pediatric hospital. Interview questions focused on the aspects of caregiving for children with medical complexity, impact on caregiver mental and physical well-being, changes to daily life secondary to the pandemic, and experiences receiving care in the healthcare system. Interviews were conducted until thematic saturation was achieved. Interviews were audio recorded, deidentified, transcribed verbatim, coded and analyzed using content analysis. RESULTS: Twelve semi-structured interviews were conducted. The interviews revealed three major themes and several associated subthemes: (1) experiences with the healthcare system amid the pandemic (lack of access to healthcare services and increased hospital restrictions, negative clinical interactions and communication breakdowns, virtual care use); (2) common challenges during the pandemic (financial strain, balancing multiple roles, inadequate homecare nursing); and (3) the pandemic's impact on family caregiver well-being (mental toll, physical toll). CONCLUSIONS: Family caregivers of children with medical complexity experienced mental and physical burden due to the intense nature of their caregiving responsibilities that were exacerbated during the pandemic. Our results highlight key priorities for the development of effective interventions to support family caregivers and their children.

Mechanical Circulatory Support in Patients With COVID-19 Presenting With Myocardial Infarction.

ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) complicating COVID-19 is associated with an increased risk of cardiogenic shock and mortality. However, little is known about the frequency of use and clinical impact of mechanical circulatory support (MCS) in these patients. We sought to define patterns of MCS utilization, patient characteristics, and outcomes in patients with COVID-19 with STEMI. The NACMI (North American COVID-19 Myocardial Infarction) is an ongoing prospective, observational registry of patients with COVID-19 positive (COVID-19+) with STEMI with a contemporary control group of persons under investigation who subsequently tested negative for COVID-19 (COVID-19-). We compared the baseline characteristics and in-hospital outcomes of COVID-19+ and patients with COVID-19- according to the use of MCS. The primary outcome was a composite of in-hospital mortality, stroke, recurrent MI, and repeat unplanned revascularization. A total of 1,379 patients (586 COVID-19+ and 793 COVID-19-) enrolled in the NACMI registry between January 2020 and November 2021 were included in this analysis; overall, MCS use was 12.3% (12.1% [n = 71] COVID-19+/MCS positive [MCS+] vs 12.4% [n = 98] COVID-19-/MCS+). Baseline characteristics were similar between the 2 groups. The use of percutaneous coronary intervention was similar between the groups (84% vs 78%; p = 0.404). Intra-aortic balloon pump was the most frequently used MCS device in both groups (53% in COVID-19+/MCS+ and 75% in COVID-19-/MCS+). The primary outcome was significantly higher in COVID-19+/MCS+ patients (60% vs 30%; p = 0.001) because of very high in-hospital mortality (59% vs 28%; p = 0.001). In conclusion, patients with COVID-19+ with STEMI requiring MCS have very high in-hospital mortality, likely related to the significantly higher pulmonary involvement compared with patients with COVID-19- with STEMI requiring MCS.

Impact of COVID-19 on Acute Myocardial Infarction Care.

The global health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has evolved rapidly to overburden health care organizations around the world and has resulted in significant morbidity and mortality. Many countries have reported a substantial and rapid reduction in hospital admissions for acute coronary syndromes and percutaneous coronary intervention. The reasons for such abrupt changes in health care delivery are multifactorial and include lockdowns, reduction in outpatient services, reluctance to seek medical attention for fear of contracting the virus, and restrictive visitation policies adopted during the pandemic. This review discusses the impact of COVID-19 on important aspects of acute MI care.

North American COVID-19 Myocardial Infarction (NACMI) Risk Score for Prediction of In-Hospital Mortality.

Background: In-hospital mortality in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is higher in those with COVID-19 than in those without COVID-19. The factors that predispose to this mortality rate and their relative contribution are poorly understood. This study developed a risk score inclusive of clinical variables to predict in-hospital mortality in patients with COVID-19 and STEMI. Methods: Baseline demographic, clinical, and procedural data from patients in the North American COVID-19 Myocardial Infarction registry were extracted. Univariable logistic regression was performed using candidate predictor variables, and multivariable logistic regression was performed using backward stepwise selection to identify independent predictors of in-hospital mortality. Independent predictors were assigned a weighted integer, with the sum of the integers yielding the total risk score for each patient. Results: In-hospital mortality occurred in 118 of 425 (28%) patients. Eight variables present at the time of STEMI diagnosis (respiratory rate of >35 breaths/min, cardiogenic shock, oxygen saturation of <93%, age of >55 â€‹years, infiltrates on chest x-ray, kidney disease, diabetes, and dyspnea) were assigned a weighted integer. In-hospital mortality increased exponentially with increasing integer risk score (Cochran-Armitage χ2, P â€‹< â€‹.001), and the model demonstrated good discriminative power (c-statistic â€‹= â€‹0.81) and calibration (Hosmer-Lemeshow, P â€‹= â€‹.40). The increasing risk score was strongly associated with in-hospital mortality (3.6%-60% mortality for low-risk and very high-risk score categories, respectively). Conclusions: The risk of in-hospital mortality in patients with COVID-19 and STEMI can be accurately predicted and discriminated using readily available clinical information.

Trends in Clinical Presentation, Management, and Outcomes of STEMI in Patients With COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: We previously reported high in-hospital mortality for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients with COVID-19 treated in the early phase of the pandemic. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to describe trends of COVID-19 patients with STEMI during the course of the pandemic. METHODS: The NACMI (North American COVID-19 STEMI) registry is a prospective, investigator-initiated, multicenter, observational registry of hospitalized STEMI patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 infection in North America. We compared trends in clinical characteristics, management, and outcomes of patients treated in the first year of the pandemic (January 2020 to December 2020) vs those treated in the second year (January 2021 to December 2021). RESULTS: A total of 586 COVID-19-positive patients with STEMI were included in the present analysis; 227 treated in Y2020 and 359 treated in Y2021. Patients' characteristics changed over time. Relative to Y2020, the proportion of Caucasian patients was higher (58% vs 39%; P < 0.001), patients presented more frequently with typical ischemic symptoms (59% vs 51%; P = 0.04), and patients were less likely to have shock pre-PCI (13% vs 18%; P = 0.07) or pulmonary manifestations (33% vs. 47%; P = 0.001) in Y2021. In-hospital mortality decreased from 33% (Y2020) to 23% (Y2021) (P = 0.008). In Y2021, none of the 22 vaccinated patients expired in hospital, whereas in-hospital death was recorded in 37 (22%) unvaccinated patients (P = 0.009). CONCLUSIONS: Significant changes have occurred in the clinical characteristics and outcomes of STEMI patients with COVID-19 infection during the course of the pandemic.

Sex Differences in Clinical Characteristics, Management Strategies, and Outcomes of STEMI With COVID-19: NACMI Registry.

Background: Women with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) had worse outcomes than men prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although concomitant COVID-19 infection increases mortality risk in STEMI patients, no studies have evaluated sex differences in this context. Methods: The North American COVID-19 STEMI registry is a prospective, multicenter registry of hospitalized STEMI patients with COVID-19 infection. We compared sex differences in clinical characteristics, presentation, management strategies, and in-hospital mortality. Results: Among 585 patients with STEMI and COVID-19 infection, 154 (26.3%) were women. Compared to men, women were significantly older, had a higher prevalence of diabetes and stroke/transient ischemic attack, and were more likely to be on statins on presentation. Men more frequently presented with chest pain, whereas women presented with dyspnea. Women more often had STEMI without an identified culprit lesion than men (33% vs 18%, P < .001). The use of percutaneous coronary intervention was significantly higher in men, whereas medical therapy was higher in women. In-hospital mortality was 33% for women and 27% for men (P = .22). Conclusions: In patients presenting with STEMI in the context of COVID-19, the in-hospital mortality rate was 30% and similar for men and women. Lack of an identifiable culprit lesion was common in the setting of COVID-19 for both sexes but more likely in women (1/3 of women vs 1/5 of men). Evaluation of specific underlying etiologies is underway to better define the full impact of COVID-19 on STEMI outcomes and better understand the observed sex differences.

DfID’s Last Stand: A Belated but Welcome Theory of Change on Mental Health and Development

This article critiques the new Theory of Change (ToC) on mental health published by the UK’s Department for International Development (DfID) in the last fortnight of its existence. The ToC offers development actors a framework for better support of beneficiaries with mental health conditions and psychosocial disabilities – given disappointingly scant attention by the sector to date. Yet, 70 per cent of mental disorders occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), with a 22 per cent prevalence in fragile and conflict-affected states. Globally, mental ill-health is estimated to affect almost one billion people. Its intersectionality with poverty and physical health has been brought into sharp focus by the current COVID-19 pandemic which has magnified the underlying social and environmental stressors of mental health. DfID’s ToC provides a conceptual framework for improving mental health globally, with an overarching vision of the full and equal exercise of all human rights by those affected by mental health conditions and psychosocial disability. The framework incorporates a rights-based approach with user-participation embedded in five critical change pathways to outcomes. The article analyses the ToC, provides an overview, highlights gaps and comments upon how DfID might have improved clarity for development actors seeking to realise its vision.

Initial Findings From the North American COVID-19 Myocardial Infarction Registry.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted many aspects of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) care, including timely access to primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI). OBJECTIVES: The goal of the NACMI (North American COVID-19 and STEMI) registry is to describe demographic characteristics, management strategies, and outcomes of COVID-19 patients with STEMI. METHODS: A prospective, ongoing observational registry was created under the guidance of 3 cardiology societies. STEMI patients with confirmed COVID+ (group 1) or suspected (person under investigation [PUI]) (group 2) COVID-19 infection were included. A group of age- and sex-matched STEMI patients (matched to COVID+ patients in a 2:1 ratio) treated in the pre-COVID era (2015 to 2019) serves as the control group for comparison of treatment strategies and outcomes (group 3). The primary outcome was a composite of in-hospital death, stroke, recurrent myocardial infarction, or repeat unplanned revascularization. RESULTS: As of December 6, 2020, 1,185 patients were included in the NACMI registry (230 COVID+ patients, 495 PUIs, and 460 control patients). COVID+ patients were more likely to have minority ethnicity (Hispanic 23%, Black 24%) and had a higher prevalence of diabetes mellitus (46%) (all p < 0.001 relative to PUIs). COVID+ patients were more likely to present with cardiogenic shock (18%) but were less likely to receive invasive angiography (78%) (all p < 0.001 relative to control patients). Among COVID+ patients who received angiography, 71% received PPCI and 20% received medical therapy (both p < 0.001 relative to control patients). The primary outcome occurred in 36% of COVID+ patients, 13% of PUIs, and 5% of control patients (p < 0.001 relative to control patients). CONCLUSIONS: COVID+ patients with STEMI represent a high-risk group of patients with unique demographic and clinical characteristics. PPCI is feasible and remains the predominant reperfusion strategy, supporting current recommendations.

orth merican OVID-19 ST-Segment-Elevation yocardial nfarction (NACMI) registry: Rationale, design, and implications

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.

Triage considerations for patients referred for structural heart disease intervention during the COVID-19 pandemic: An ACC/SCAI position statement.

The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has strained health care resources around the world, causing many institutions to curtail or stop elective procedures. This has resulted in an inability to care for patients with valvular and structural heart disease in a timely fashion, potentially placing these patients at increased risk for adverse cardiovascular complications, including CHF and death. The effective triage of these patients has become challenging in the current environment, as clinicians have had to weigh the risk of bringing susceptible patients into the hospital environment during the COVID-19 pandemic against the risk of delaying a needed procedure. In this document, the authors suggest guidelines for how to triage patients in need of structural heart disease interventions and provide a framework for how to decide when it may be appropriate to proceed with intervention despite the ongoing pandemic. In particular, the authors address the triage of patients in need of transcatheter aortic valve replacement and percutaneous mitral valve repair. The authors also address procedural issues and considerations for the function of structural heart disease teams during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Triage Considerations for Patients Referred for Structural Heart Disease Intervention During the COVID-19 Pandemic: An ACC/SCAI Position Statement.

The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has strained health care resources around the world, causing many institutions to curtail or stop elective procedures. This has resulted in an inability to care for patients with valvular and structural heart disease in a timely fashion, potentially placing these patients at increased risk for adverse cardiovascular complications, including CHF and death. The effective triage of these patients has become challenging in the current environment as clinicians have had to weigh the risk of bringing susceptible patients into the hospital environment during the COVID-19 pandemic against the risk of delaying a needed procedure. In this document, the authors suggest guidelines for how to triage patients in need of structural heart disease interventions and provide a framework for how to decide when it may be appropriate to proceed with intervention despite the ongoing pandemic. In particular, the authors address the triage of patients in need of transcatheter aortic valve replacement and percutaneous mitral valve repair. The authors also address procedural issues and considerations for the function of structural heart disease teams during the COVID-19 pandemic.