Dismal outcome if delayed cardiac surgery because of coronavirus disease 2019

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Public Health
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted healthcare systems globally.
• Patients experiencing respiratory symptoms often feared COVID-19, leading to delayed medical attention.
• This delay affected the diagnosis and treatment of other critical conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the consequences of delayed cardiac treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• To identify the types of cardiac conditions that were diagnosed late.
• To assess the outcomes of patients with delayed cardiac surgery.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 21 adult patients diagnosed in 2020.
• Identification of patients who deferred medical treatment due to perceived COVID-19 symptoms.
• Review of cardiac diagnoses, surgical interventions, and patient outcomes.

Main Results:

• 21 non-infected patients presented with delayed diagnoses of critical cardiac conditions.
• Conditions included aortic stenosis, endocarditis, and ST-elevation myocardial infarction.
• One patient died due to deferred aortic stenosis surgery; 18 underwent heart surgery with 22% early mortality.

Conclusions:

• Late diagnosis and treatment of surgical heart disease during the COVID-19 pandemic posed significant risks.
• Fear of COVID-19 led to delayed presentation and worsened patient outcomes.
• Healthcare providers should remain vigilant for non-COVID-19 emergencies during pandemics.