Acute Coronary Syndrome in the COVID-19 Pandemic: Reduced Cases and Increased Ischaemic Time.
Heart Lung Circ
; 31(1): 69-76, 2022 Jan.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1370529
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to unprecedented stress on health care systems, and has affected acute coronary syndrome treatment at every step. This study aimed to examine the impact of COVID-19 on patient presentations with acute coronary syndromes during the first and second pandemic wave in Melbourne, Victoria.METHOD:
A retrospective cohort study of adults presenting with cute coronary syndrome during the first pandemic wave from 1 March 2020 to 31 April 2020 and the second pandemic wave from 1 July 2020 to 31 August 2020 was compared to a control period from 1 March to 31 April 2019 at a single sub-tertiary referral centre in Melbourne, Victoria servicing a catchment area with a relatively high incidence of COVID-19 cases.RESULTS:
Three-hundred-and-thirty-five (335) patients were hospitalised with acute coronary syndromes across all three time periods. The total number of patients presenting with an acute coronary syndrome was reduced during the pandemic, with a higher proportion of ST elevation myocardial infarctions. Ischaemic times increased with time from symptom onset to first medical contact rising from 191 minutes in the control period to 292 minutes in the first wave (p=0.06) and 271 minutes in the second wave (p=0.06). Coronary angiography with subsequent revascularisation significantly increased from 55% in the control period undergoing revascularisation to 69% in the first wave (p<0.001) and 74% in the second wave (p<0.001).CONCLUSION:
A concerning reduction in acute coronary presentations occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, associated with longer ischaemic times and a higher proportion requiring revascularisation. It is crucial that public awareness campaigns are instituted to address the contributing patient factors in future waves.Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Acute Coronary Syndrome
/
COVID-19
Type of study:
Cohort study
/
Diagnostic study
/
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
Topics:
Long Covid
Limits:
Humans
Language:
English
Journal:
Heart Lung Circ
Journal subject:
Vascular Diseases
/
Cardiology
Year:
2022
Document Type:
Article
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