Background:
Patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) should undergo primary PCI (percutaneous coronary intervention) as a standard of care. However, with the increase in the prevalence of COVID-19, all patients with suspected STEMI should be treated as possible COVID-19 cases. Therefore, more time may be needed to establish an acute MI diagnosis and to perform a COVID-19 status assessment. There has been a paucity of data regarding its influence on the primary PCI procedure.
Objective:
We sought to evaluate the impact of the prevalence of COVID-19 on the door-to-balloon time and clinical outcome in patient with STEMI.
Method:
Between January 2019 and May 2020, 157 patients with STEMI underwent primary PCI in 3 Japanese PCI centers. Mean age of patients was 70.4±12.9 years, and 71.6% were male. Right distal radial artery access was used in 110 patients (94.8%). We divided these patients into two groups: a group before the COVID -19 outbreak and another group during the pandemic, and were retrospectively analyzed. The following patients’ baseline characteristics were obtained: door-to-balloon time, duration in the emergency department, finding of CT scan if conducted, peak CK, 30-day mortality rate.
Results:
We evaluated patients with STEMI who underwent PCI between January 2019 and January 2020 (before the pandemic) and between February 2020 and May 2020 (during the pandemic). The number of patients was 119 before pandemic and 37 during pandemic. Mean door-to-balloon time was 35.8 ± 24.5 min before the pandemic and 41.2 ± 20.8 min after the outbreak (p<0.05). Induration at the emergency department was 22.6 ± 18.6 min before the pandemic and 21.3 ± 13.3 min after the outbreak (p=0.329). CT evaluation was performed before PCI was conducted in 41 patients (34.5%) and 14 patients (37.8%) (p=0.699). The peak CPK was 1956.2 ±2141.9 U/L and 2801.1 ± 2982.5 U/L (P=0.006). There was no significant difference in a 30-day mortality rate (5% vs 0%; P=0.699). Of the 37 patients after the outbreak, no patient underwent PCR examination for COVID-19 virus.
Conclusion:
The COVID-19 pandemic changed the diagnostic procedure in the emergency department and affected door-to-balloon time in patients with STEMI.