Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 6, 2025
Utilizing Percutaneous Ventricular Assist Devices in Acute Myocardial Infarction Complicated by Cardiogenic Shock
Published on: June 12, 2021
Management of cardiovascular emergencies during the COVID-19 pandemic
Rahul Choudhary1, Dinesh Gautam2, Rohit Mathur3
1Department of Cardiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences Jodphur, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India drrahulchoudhary@yahoo.com.
Insights
The COVID-19 pandemic delayed emergency cardiac care and reduced optimal treatment. This led to increased delays in presentation and higher in-hospital mortality for acute coronary syndrome (ACS).
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Public Health
- Emergency Medicine
Background:
- COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns impacted emergency department care.
- Patients with non-COVID pathologies may have received suboptimal medical attention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of COVID-19 lockdown on cardiovascular emergency care.
- To assess changes in patient presentation, treatment, and outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective study in four tertiary regional emergency departments in western India.
- Analysis of cardiovascular emergency patients during pre-COVID, pre-lockdown, and lockdown periods.
Main Results:
- Increased delays in presentation (outside window period) during lockdown (25.0%) vs. pre-COVID (6%).
- Reduced emergent catheterization for ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) during lockdown (18.8%) vs. pre-COVID (46.9%).
- Increased in-hospital mortality for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) during post-lockdown (7.27%) vs. pre-COVID (2.69%).
Conclusions:
- COVID-19 pandemic caused significant delays in seeking cardiac care.
- Optimal treatment for cardiac emergencies was compromised during the pandemic.
- Pandemic measures led to a decline in emergency admissions for other cardiovascular conditions.
Background:
It has been reported that patients attending the emergency department with other pathologies may not have received optimal medical care due to the lockdown measures in the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods:
This was a retrospective study of patients presenting with cardiovascular emergencies to four tertiary regional emergency departments in western India during the government implementation of complete lockdown.
Results:
25.0% of patients during the lockdown period and 17.4% of patients during the pre-lockdown period presented outside the window period (presentation after 12 hours of symptom onset) compared with only 6% during the pre-COVID period. In the pre-COVID period, 46.9% of patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction underwent emergent catheterisation, while in the pre-lockdown and lockdown periods, these values were 26.1% and 18.8%, respectively. The proportion of patients treated with intravenous thrombolytic therapy increased from 18.4% in the pre-COVID period to 32.3% in the post-lockdown period. Inhospital mortality for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) increased from 2.69% in the pre-COVID period to 7.27% in the post-lockdown period. There was also a significant decline in emergency admissions for non-ACS conditions, such as acute decompensated heart failure and high degree or complete atrioventricular block.
Conclusion:
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to delays in patients seeking care for cardiac problems and also affected the use of optimum therapy in our institutions.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:30Introduction Cardiac Emergencies
01:28Acute Coronary Syndrome IV: Interprofessional Care
01:25Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation IV: Pharmacological Management
01:26Acute Coronary Syndrome V: Nursing Management
01:28Cardiomyopathy VII: Pre and Post Operative Nursing Management
01:21Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation I: Adult