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Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Emergency Department Practices for Cardiopulmonary Symptoms

Ki Hong Kim1,2, Jae Yun Jung1,2, Hayoung Kim1,2

  • 1Department of Emergency Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea.

Journal of Clinical Medicine
|January 28, 2026
PubMed

Insights

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly delayed medical imaging for emergency department patients with cardiopulmonary symptoms. Diagnostic imaging times, including chest X-rays and CT scans, increased notably during the pandemic.

Area of Science:

  • Emergency Medicine
  • Radiology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • The COVID-19 pandemic impacted healthcare delivery globally.
  • Emergency departments (EDs) experienced significant operational changes during the pandemic.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess changes in the time to medical imaging for patients with cardiopulmonary symptoms in the ED.
  • To compare imaging times before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective observational study using a tertiary academic hospital's clinical database.
  • Included adult ED patients with cardiopulmonary symptoms (chest pain, dyspnea, palpitation, syncope) from January 2018 to December 2021.
  • Analyzed time to chest X-ray (CXR), chest computed tomography (CT), and focused cardiac ultrasound (FOCUS).

Main Results:

  • A total of 28,213 patients were analyzed; 61.2% pre-COVID-19 and 38.8% during COVID-19.
  • Medical imaging was delayed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Specific delays: FOCUS (9 min), CXR (6 min), and chest CT (115 min).

Conclusions:

  • The COVID-19 pandemic led to significant delays in medical imaging for ED patients with cardiopulmonary issues.
  • These findings highlight potential impacts on timely diagnosis and treatment during public health crises.

Keywords:
cardiopulmonary symptomemergency departmentmedical imagingpandemicultrasound

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