"Missing" acute coronary syndrome hospitalizations during the COVID-19 era in Greece: Medical care avoidance combined with a true reduction in incidence?
COVID-19
acute cardiac care
acute coronary syndrome
myocardial infarction
public health
Journal
Clinical cardiology
ISSN: 1932-8737
Titre abrégé: Clin Cardiol
Pays: United States
ID NLM: 7903272
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
Oct 2020
Oct 2020
Historique:
received:
01
07
2020
accepted:
07
07
2020
pubmed:
22
7
2020
medline:
15
12
2020
entrez:
22
7
2020
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
Reports from countries severely hit by the COVID-19 pandemic suggest a decline in acute coronary syndrome (ACS)-related hospitalizations. The generalizability of this observation on ACS admissions and possible related causes in countries with low COVID-19 incidence are not known. ACS admissions were reduced in a country spared by COVID-19. We conducted a nationwide study on the incidence rates of ACS-related admissions during a 6-week period of the COVID-19 outbreak and the corresponding control period in 2019 in Greece, a country with strict social measures, low COVID-19 incidence, and no excess in mortality. ACS admissions in the COVID-19 (n = 771) compared with the control (n = 1077) period were reduced overall (incidence rate ratio [IRR]: 0.72, P < .001) and for each ACS type (ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction [STEMI]: IRR: 0.76, P = .001; non-STEMI: IRR: 0.74, P < .001; and unstable angina [UA]: IRR: 0.63, P = .002). The decrease in STEMI admissions was stable throughout the COVID-19 period (temporal correlation; R We observed a reduction in ACS hospitalizations during the COVID-19 outbreak in a country with strict social measures, low community transmission, and no excess in mortality. Medical care avoidance behavior is an important factor for these observations, while a true reduction of the ACS incidence due to self-isolation/quarantining may have also played a role.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
BACKGROUND
Reports from countries severely hit by the COVID-19 pandemic suggest a decline in acute coronary syndrome (ACS)-related hospitalizations. The generalizability of this observation on ACS admissions and possible related causes in countries with low COVID-19 incidence are not known.
HYPOTHESIS
OBJECTIVE
ACS admissions were reduced in a country spared by COVID-19.
METHODS
METHODS
We conducted a nationwide study on the incidence rates of ACS-related admissions during a 6-week period of the COVID-19 outbreak and the corresponding control period in 2019 in Greece, a country with strict social measures, low COVID-19 incidence, and no excess in mortality.
RESULTS
RESULTS
ACS admissions in the COVID-19 (n = 771) compared with the control (n = 1077) period were reduced overall (incidence rate ratio [IRR]: 0.72, P < .001) and for each ACS type (ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction [STEMI]: IRR: 0.76, P = .001; non-STEMI: IRR: 0.74, P < .001; and unstable angina [UA]: IRR: 0.63, P = .002). The decrease in STEMI admissions was stable throughout the COVID-19 period (temporal correlation; R
CONCLUSIONS
CONCLUSIONS
We observed a reduction in ACS hospitalizations during the COVID-19 outbreak in a country with strict social measures, low community transmission, and no excess in mortality. Medical care avoidance behavior is an important factor for these observations, while a true reduction of the ACS incidence due to self-isolation/quarantining may have also played a role.
Identifiants
pubmed: 32691901
doi: 10.1002/clc.23424
pmc: PMC7404667
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Multicenter Study
Observational Study
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
1142-1149Informations de copyright
© 2020 The Authors. Clinical Cardiology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.
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