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. 2021 Feb 16;37(2):407-413.
doi: 10.1002/joa3.12518. eCollection 2021 Apr.

Ventricular arrhythmias among patients with implantable cardioverter-defibrillator during the COVID-19 pandemic

G Malanchini  1 , P Ferrari  1 , C Leidi  1 , G Ferrari  1 , M Racheli  1 , M Senni  1 , P De Filippo  1
Affiliations

Ventricular arrhythmias among patients with implantable cardioverter-defibrillator during the COVID-19 pandemic

G Malanchini et al. J Arrhythm. .

Abstract

Background: Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) has been associated with myocardial injury and higher risk of arrhythmic complications. However, no reports are available about the effect of the ongoing pandemic on arrhythmias in patients at risk.

Objective: To describe the effect of COVID-19 pandemic on arrhythmic burden among high-risk patients.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study on the incidence of ventricular arrhythmia (VA) during the pandemic outbreak (study period), compared to the same timeframe in 2019 (reference period). Inclusion criteria were age (>18 years) and having an implantable cardiac defibrillator (ICD).

Results: Among 455 patients enrolled (mean age 64.9 ± 15.7 years; 25.1% females and 39.6% with CRTD), in the study period, 45 (9.9%) patients experienced a total of 86 VA; 8 patients (1.7%) required antitachycardia-pacing (ATP) and 6 (1.3%) at least one shock. In the reference period, a total of 69 events occurred in 36 patients (7.9%). Six patients (1.3%) required ATP and three (0.7%) at least one shock. The number of patients that suffered from any arrhythmic events in the study period (9.9% vs 7.9%) did not significantly differ from the reference period (χ2 = 1.09, P = .29). The main predictor of VA during the COVID-19 pandemic was the previous history of any ICD therapy (OR = 3.84, P < .001).

Conclusions: No evidence of an increase of arrhythmic burden was found during the COVID-19 pandemic among patients with an ICD.

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Conflict of interest statement

All authors report no conflict of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
The diagram shows the study population's selection process; ICD, implantable cardioverter‐defibrillator; CRTD, Cardiac resynchronization therapy‐defibrillator; S‐ICD, subcutaneous implantable cardioverter‐defibrillator; PPM, permanent pace‐maker; CRTP, cardiac resynchronization therapy‐ pace‐maker; ICM, implantable cardiac monitor
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Incidence rates (percentages) of ventricular arrhythmias and ICD therapy among the study population and reference population; VA, ventricular arrhythmias; VT, ventricular tachycardia, VF, ventricular fibrillation; ATP, antitachycardia pacing
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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