Impact of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic on Cardiac Arrest and Emergency Care

Murtaza Bharmal1, Kyle DiGrande1, Akash Patel1

  • 1Department of Cardiology, University of California Irvine Medical Center, 510 E Peltason Drive, Irvine, CA 92697, USA.

Heart Failure Clinics
|March 2, 2023
PubMed

Insights

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic led to more cardiac arrests and worse patient survival. Understanding pandemic-related factors is key to improving future emergency cardiac care.

Area of Science:

  • Emergency Medicine
  • Public Health
  • Cardiology

Background:

  • The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted healthcare systems globally.
  • Cardiac arrest incidence and outcomes are critical public health indicators.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cardiac arrest incidence and outcomes.
  • To identify factors contributing to changes in cardiac arrest events during the pandemic.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of cardiac arrest data.
  • Comparison of pre-pandemic and pandemic periods.
  • Evaluation of survival and neurologic outcomes.

Main Results:

  • Increased incidence of both out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and in-hospital cardiac arrest during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Reduced patient survival and neurologic outcomes for both types of cardiac arrest.
  • Attributed changes to direct COVID-19 effects and indirect pandemic influences on healthcare and behavior.

Conclusions:

  • The COVID-19 pandemic adversely affected cardiac arrest incidence and outcomes.
  • Addressing pandemic-related factors is crucial for enhancing emergency cardiac care.
  • Future strategies should focus on mitigating pandemic-related impacts to improve survival rates.

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