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Coronavirus disease 2019 is threatening stroke care systems: a real-world study

Jiawei Xin1,2, Xuanyu Huang3,4, Changyun Liu1

  • 1Department of Neurology, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, 29 Xinquan Road, Fuzhou, 350001, China.

BMC Health Services Research
|April 1, 2021
PubMed

Insights

The COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted stroke care in China, leading to worse patient outcomes and increased hospitalization costs, despite unchanged workflow metrics. Urgent measures are needed to protect stroke patients from pandemic-related harm.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Public Health
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly disrupted healthcare systems globally.
  • Stroke care services in mainland China faced challenges due to social restrictions and pandemic-related issues.
  • Understanding the pandemic's specific impact on stroke care in China is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on stroke care systems in mainland China.
  • To analyze changes in patient outcomes and healthcare utilization during the pandemic.
  • To assess the correlation between medical burden and prognosis for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of real-world data from a comprehensive stroke center in China.
  • Comparison of data from January-February 2020 (during the pandemic) with the same period in 2019.
  • Evaluation of pre-hospital and in-hospital workflow metrics, neurological deficit, treatment outcomes, length of stay, and hospitalization costs.

Main Results:

  • No significant differences were observed in pre-hospital or in-hospital workflow metrics (p>0.05).
  • Patients experienced worse neurological deficits on admission and at discharge, poorer treatment effects, and a worse long-term prognosis during the pandemic (p<0.05).
  • AIS patient severity and prognosis correlated positively with longer hospital stays and higher hospitalization costs (p<0.05).

Conclusions:

  • The COVID-19 pandemic poses a significant threat to the quality and effectiveness of stroke care systems.
  • Collateral damage to stroke care necessitates the implementation of protective measures.
  • Further research and strategic planning are required to mitigate the impact of pandemics on stroke patient management.
Abstract

Keywords:
COVID-19ChinaPandemicReal-worldStrokeStroke careWorkflow

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