Ho Kyung Sung1, Jin Hui Paik2, Yu Jin Lee2, Soo Kang3. 1. National Emergency Medical Center, National Medical Center, Seoul, Korea. 2. Department of Emergency Medicine, Inha University College of Medicine, Incheon, Korea. 3. Department of Emergency Medicine, Inha University College of Medicine, Incheon, Korea. dr_peace@naver.com.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted various aspects of daily living and has influenced the life of every individual in a unique way. Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is associated with high morbidity and mortality; thus, timely treatment is crucial to prevent poor prognosis. Therefore, an immediate emergency department (ED) visit is required; however, no domestic studies have reported the effect of COVID-19 on ED visits by patients with AMI. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the changes in the pattern of ED visits by patients with AMI by comparing visits during the COVID-19 outbreak period to those during two control periods. METHODS: This nationwide, retrospective study used registry data of the National Emergency Department Information System. The 'outbreak period' was defined as the period between February 21, 2020 and April 1, 2020, while the 'control period' was defined as the same time period in the preceding two years (2018 and 2019). The primary outcome of our study was the number of patients admitted to the ED owing to AMI during the outbreak and control periods. Secondary outcomes were time from symptom onset to ED visit, length of ED stay, and 30-day mortality following admission. RESULTS: During the outbreak period, 401,378 patients visited the ED; this number was lower than that during the control periods (2018: 577,548; 2019: 598,514). The number of patients with AMI visiting the ED was lower during the outbreak period (2,221) than during 2018 (2,437) and 2019 (2,591). CONCLUSION: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a reduction in ED visits by patients with AMI. We assume that this could likely be caused by misinterpretation of AMI symptoms as symptoms of respiratory infection, fear of contracting severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, and restrictions in accessing emergency medical care owing to overburdened healthcare facilities. This study sheds light on the fact that healthcare and emergency medical staff members must work towards eliminating hurdles due to this pandemic for patients to receive timely emergency care, which in turn will help curb the growing burden of mortality.
BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted various aspects of daily living and has influenced the life of every individual in a unique way. Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is associated with high morbidity and mortality; thus, timely treatment is crucial to prevent poor prognosis. Therefore, an immediate emergency department (ED) visit is required; however, no domestic studies have reported the effect of COVID-19 on ED visits by patients with AMI. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the changes in the pattern of ED visits by patients with AMI by comparing visits during the COVID-19 outbreak period to those during two control periods. METHODS: This nationwide, retrospective study used registry data of the National Emergency Department Information System. The 'outbreak period' was defined as the period between February 21, 2020 and April 1, 2020, while the 'control period' was defined as the same time period in the preceding two years (2018 and 2019). The primary outcome of our study was the number of patients admitted to the ED owing to AMI during the outbreak and control periods. Secondary outcomes were time from symptom onset to ED visit, length of ED stay, and 30-day mortality following admission. RESULTS: During the outbreak period, 401,378 patients visited the ED; this number was lower than that during the control periods (2018: 577,548; 2019: 598,514). The number of patients with AMI visiting the ED was lower during the outbreak period (2,221) than during 2018 (2,437) and 2019 (2,591). CONCLUSION: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a reduction in ED visits by patients with AMI. We assume that this could likely be caused by misinterpretation of AMI symptoms as symptoms of respiratory infection, fear of contracting severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, and restrictions in accessing emergency medical care owing to overburdened healthcare facilities. This study sheds light on the fact that healthcare and emergency medical staff members must work towards eliminating hurdles due to this pandemic for patients to receive timely emergency care, which in turn will help curb the growing burden of mortality.
Authors: Seok Oh; Myung Ho Jeong; Kyung Hoon Cho; Min Chul Kim; Doo Sun Sim; Young Joon Hong; Ju Han Kim; Youngkeun Ahn Journal: Korean J Intern Med Date: 2022-06-28 Impact factor: 3.165
Authors: Marco Marotta; Francesca Gorini; Alessandra Parlanti; Kyriazoula Chatzianagnostou; Annamaria Mazzone; Sergio Berti; Cristina Vassalle Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2021-09-18 Impact factor: 4.614
Authors: Leslie Rae Ferat; Ryan Forrest; Kawaldip Sehmi; Raul D Santos; David Stewart; Andrew J M Boulton; Beatriz Yáñez Jiménez; Phil Riley; Dylan Burger; Erika S W Jones; Maciej Tomaszewski; Maria Rita Milanese; Paul Laffin; Vivekanand Jha; Bettina Borisch; Michael Moore; Fausto J Pinto; Daniel Piñeiro; Jean-Luc Eiselé; Daniel T Lackland; Paul K Whelton; Xin-Hua Zhang; Anna Stavdal; Donald Li; Richard Hobbs; Jeyaraj Durai Pandian; Michael Brainin; Valery Feigin Journal: Glob Heart Date: 2021-10-12
Authors: Harin Rhee; Gum Sook Jang; Sungmi Kim; Wanhee Lee; Hakeong Jeon; Da Woon Kim; Byung-Min Ye; Hyo Jin Kim; Min Jeong Kim; Seo Rin Kim; Il Young Kim; Sang Heon Song; Eun Young Seong; Dong Won Lee; Soo Bong Lee Journal: BMC Emerg Med Date: 2022-08-01