Is the COVID-19 Pandemic Negatively Impacting Individuals with STEMI?

The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on the world. From economies hitting brick walls to at-risk populations being impacted at alarming rates, the emergence of the virus and its accompanying illness has led to frenetic attempts to slow the spread, find effective treatments, and quickly develop a vaccine.

While the virus has obviously caused tremendous direct harm to those it has infected, there is a legitimate concern that it has devastated unknown numbers of other individuals indirectly. For example, patients with other health conditions may be unable or unwilling to seek out medical assistance due to the pandemic. When this occurs, the results can be severe, if not fatal.

One such patient group is that which is suffering from ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Patients with this condition, if unable to access emergency systems due to COVID-19, could be at risk of dying at an increased rate.

To determine if this worst-case scenario was a reality, researchers conducted a study regarding the matter. Their findings are outlined below.

The Study

 

Using retrospective data from high-volume primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) centers in Europe, this study assessed patients with STEMI who were treated with PPCI between the months of March and April in 2019 and in 2020. Researchers were looking for primary outcomes of incidences of PPCI, delayed treatment, and mortality occurring in the hospital.

In total, 77 centers were included across 18 countries. In these centers, 6,609 patients underwent PPCI.

Findings

There was a correlation between the pandemic and a reduction in PPCI. In fact, patients with STEMI received 19% fewer PPCI procedures in 2020 than in 2019. This was especially true in patients with hypertension. Delayed treatment was also notable, which may correlate to the increased mortality among STEMI patients during the pandemic.

What it Means

Patients with STEMI have been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to more frequent negative outcomes. While applying these findings to other illnesses would be conjecture, it is obvious that patients with STEMI have suffered due to the inaccessibility of emergency systems.

To rectify this situation, action should be taken to encourage patients to be proactive despite the circumstances. Rather than neglecting characteristic symptoms of severe health problems, such as acute myocardial infarctions, all individuals—especially those with hypertension—should strive to have any problems addressed promptly.