ABSTRACT
Delaying or avoiding medical treatment is a common and possibly dangerous consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Certain demographic, medical or social groups were found reporting higher rates of avoiding medical care. Patients should be specifically targeted in advertising and interactions that encourage people to return to their previous behavior concerning their health maintenance. Technology advances, especially telemedicine, should be implemented widely to overcome pandemic fears and provide a new platform for treating patients in this complex era. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
Delaying or avoiding medical treatment is a common and possibly dangerous consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Certain demographic, medical or social groups were found reporting higher rates of avoiding medical care. Patients should be specifically targeted in advertising and interactions that encourage people to return to their previous behavior concerning their health maintenance. Technology advances, especially telemedicine, should be implemented widely to overcome pandemic fears and provide a new platform for treating patients in this complex era. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
Atypical presentations of ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) have been reported in patients who have COVID-19. We have seen this occurrence in our center in Bronx, New York, where multitudes of patients sought treatment for the coronavirus. We studied the prevalence of atypical STEMI findings among patients with COVID-19 who presented during the first 2 months of the pandemic. Consistent with previous reports, 4 of our 10 patients with COVID-19 and STEMI had no identifiable culprit coronary lesion; rather, they often had diffuse ST-segment elevations on surface electrocardiograms along with higher levels of D-dimer and inflammatory markers. In contrast, 32 of 33 patients without COVID-19 (97%) had a culprit lesion. The patients with COVID-19 and a culprit lesion more often needed thrombectomy catheterization and administration of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors. Our study confirms that patients with COVID-19 often have atypical STEMI presentations, including the frequent absence of a culprit coronary lesion. Our findings can help clinicians prepare for these atypical clinical presentations.