Mahvash Zaman1, Denise Tiong1, Jacqueline Saw2, Sarah Zaman3,4, Matthew J Daniels1,5,6. 1. Manchester Heart Centre, Manchester Royal Infirmary, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK. 2. Division of Cardiology, Vancouver General Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC Canada. 3. Westmead Applied Research Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia. 4. Department of Cardiology, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, Australia. 5. Division of Cardiovascular Sciences, Manchester Academic Health Sciences Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK. 6. Division of Cell Matrix Biology and Regenerative Medicine, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
Abstract
PURPOSE: As second and third waves of the COVID-19 pandemic challenge healthcare in North America and Europe once again, we analyze the impact of the first wave on routine elective cardiovascular care, and the differential COVID risk emerging within our patient groups and staff. PERSPECTIVE: We describe the need to sustainably resume, and temporarily expand, routine elective cardiac services in the face of resurgent COVID-19. Some, but not all, cardiac patient groups are particularly vulnerable to adverse outcomes following COVID-19 infection. We explore mitigation measures at the institutional level to increase resilience within cardiac services to enable them to operate deep into subsequent waves of COVID infection which place unprecedented demands on intensive care infrastructure. As measures to eradicate the virus appear to have failed in many countries, and vaccine roll-out will take many months we take the view that the threat imposed by endemic COVID-19 alters the way elective procedural care should be offered to cardiovascular patients. CONCLUSION: Our patients are at definite risk from their cardiovascular disease, and a return to suspension of proven prognostic interventional treatments on an elective basis - the default for the first wave - must be avoided at all costs.
PURPOSE: As second and third waves of the COVID-19 pandemic challenge healthcare in North America and Europe once again, we analyze the impact of the first wave on routine elective cardiovascular care, and the differential COVID risk emerging within our patient groups and staff. PERSPECTIVE: We describe the need to sustainably resume, and temporarily expand, routine elective cardiac services in the face of resurgent COVID-19. Some, but not all, cardiac patient groups are particularly vulnerable to adverse outcomes following COVID-19 infection. We explore mitigation measures at the institutional level to increase resilience within cardiac services to enable them to operate deep into subsequent waves of COVID infection which place unprecedented demands on intensive care infrastructure. As measures to eradicate the virus appear to have failed in many countries, and vaccine roll-out will take many months we take the view that the threat imposed by endemic COVID-19 alters the way elective procedural care should be offered to cardiovascular patients. CONCLUSION: Our patients are at definite risk from their cardiovascular disease, and a return to suspension of proven prognostic interventional treatments on an elective basis - the default for the first wave - must be avoided at all costs.
Authors: Santiago Garcia; Mazen S Albaghdadi; Perwaiz M Meraj; Christian Schmidt; Ross Garberich; Farouc A Jaffer; Simon Dixon; Jeffrey J Rade; Mark Tannenbaum; Jenny Chambers; Paul P Huang; Timothy D Henry Journal: J Am Coll Cardiol Date: 2020-04-10 Impact factor: 24.094
Authors: Richard L Tillett; Joel R Sevinsky; Paul D Hartley; Heather Kerwin; Natalie Crawford; Andrew Gorzalski; Chris Laverdure; Subhash C Verma; Cyprian C Rossetto; David Jackson; Megan J Farrell; Stephanie Van Hooser; Mark Pandori Journal: Lancet Infect Dis Date: 2020-10-12 Impact factor: 25.071
Authors: Tanush Gupta; Tamim M Nazif; Torsten P Vahl; Hasan Ahmad; Anna E Bortnick; Frederick Feit; Rajiv Jauhar; Ruben Kandov; Michael Kim; Annapoorna Kini; William Lawson; Robert Leber; Alexander Lee; Abel E Moreyra; Robert M Minutello; Terrence Sacchi; Pranaychan J Vaidya; Martin B Leon; Sahil A Parikh; Ajay J Kirtane; Susheel Kodali Journal: Catheter Cardiovasc Interv Date: 2020-05-16 Impact factor: 2.585
Authors: Jennifer A Rymer; Ajay J Kirtane; Andrew Farb; Misti Malone; Michael R Jaff; Kirk Seward; Dan Stephens; Mark R Barakat; Mitchell W Krucoff Journal: Cardiovasc Revasc Med Date: 2022-07-26