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Multicenter Study
. 2020 Aug:226:147-151.
doi: 10.1016/j.ahj.2020.05.009. Epub 2020 May 23.

Decrease in acute coronary syndrome presentations during the COVID-19 pandemic in upstate New York

Nabil Braiteh  1 , Wajeeh Ur Rehman  2 , Md Alom  2 , Vincent Skovira  3 , Nour Breiteh  4 , Ibraheem Rehman  5 , Alon Yarkoni  3 , Hisham Kahsou  3 , Afzal Rehman  3
Affiliations
Multicenter Study

Decrease in acute coronary syndrome presentations during the COVID-19 pandemic in upstate New York

Nabil Braiteh et al. Am Heart J. 2020 Aug.

Abstract

The COVID-19 virus is a devastating pandemic that has impacted the US healthcare system significantly. More than one study reported a significant decrease in acute coronary syndrome admissions during that pandemic which is still due to unknown reasons.

Methods: This is a retrospective non-controlled multi-centered study of 180 patients (117 males and 63 females) with acute coronary syndrome (STEMI and NSTEMI) admitted during March/April of 2019 and March/April 2020 in Upstate New York.

Results: A total of 113 patients (61.9% males, 38.1% females) with a mean age of 72.3 ± 14.2 presented during March/April 2019 with ACS (STEMI + NSTEMI) while only 67 (70.1% males, 29.9% females) COVID-19 negative patients with a mean age of 65.1 ± 14.5 presented during the same period (March/April) in 2020. This is a drop by 40.7% (P < .05) of total ACS cases during the COVID-19 pandemic. In NSTEMI patients, 36.4% presented late (>24 hours of symptoms) during the COVID-19 pandemic in comparison with 2019 (27.1%, P = .033).

Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic led to a substantial drop by 40.7% (P < .05) of total ACS admissions in our area. This decrease in hospital admissions and late presentations can be a worrisome sign for an increase in future complications of myocardial infarctions.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Total number of patients who presented with STEMI, NSTEMI, and ACS (STEMI + NSTEMI) in March/April 2019 and March/April 2020. It showed a drop by 40.7% (P < .05) of total ACS cases during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Data showing significantly more patients with NSTEMI (36%) presented >24-hour after onset of symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic in comparison with March/April 2019 (27%) (P = .033).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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