ABSTRACT
Background: SARS-COV-2 virus pandemic is a challenge for healthcare across the globe. Although COVID-19 is a significant cause of mortality and morbidity, the collateral damage caused by this disease might influence patients with cardiovascular disease, especially acute coronary syndromes (ACS) very prone to treatment delay and lack of infrastructure and staff availability. Additionally lock-down causes patients concern and reluctance which further delays the invasive. treatment. Purpose: In our report we sought to analyse the incidence and course of ACS patients following the first wave of COVID-19 pandemy in Poland. Methods: The report represents multiinstitutional registry, with 10 interventional cardiology departments included. The data was gathered from a timeframe separating two waves of the pandemy (June-October), which reflects the situation directly following the first lockdown in Poland (30 March- 31 May 2020) and limitations in planned medical care. The data was compared to same timeframe in year 2019. Patients who were admitted with ACS were included. In hospital outcome was analyzed. Results: There were 2801 patients hospitalized for acute coronary syndrome in 2019 (Jun-Oct) and 2620 in 2020 (Jun-Oct), which is respectively 52.8% and 57.9% of coronary artery disease admissions (p<0.0001). Patient baseline characteristics and in hospital outcomes are presented in table 1. In 2020 patient presented more often with diabetes, hyperlipidaemia and smoking history when compared to 2019. However, myocardial infarction was more frequent in 2019. There was a visible trend for higher mortality in 2020. More patient were admitted with acute heart failure in 2020. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic affects both ACS patient profile and course of treatment, which became apparent already after first wave of pandemic. Patient admitted after lockdown has more risk factors, there was a trend toward higher mortality and patient presented more often with acute heart failure, more likely due to delay in treatment or no invasive treatment for MI.