Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic on the Treatment Management of ST-elevation Myocardial Infarction

The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in early 2020 has affected reperfusion time in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) across the globe.

The present study aimed to assess the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the treatment management of STEMI.

This quantitative cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study investigated medical records of all patients (n=279) with STEMI who were consecutively admitted to Heshmatieh Hospital in Sabzevar city and underwent Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PPCI) in the last 9 months of 2019 (from April to December) as "Pre-pandemic group" (n=161) and the same period in 2020 as "post-pandemic group" (n=118). The data collection tools were a demographic information form and a checklist for recording treatment information.

The average times from the symptom onset to first medical contact (FMC) and from FMC to the commencement of PPCI were significantly increased in the post-pandemic group, compared to those in the pre-pandemic group (870.50±1397.48 versus 348.80±399.20 min and 73.23±91.87 versus 52.68±27.46 min, respectively). The mean length of stay was reduced after the intervention in the post-pandemic group. Despite the reduction in the number of STEMI patients’ referrals in the post-COVID-19 pandemic period, the comparison of the referral of patients by month showed no significant difference between the two study groups before and after the COVID-19 pandemic.Implications for Practice: The COVID-19 pandemic caused treatment delay and reduced hospital stay among STEMI patients. The results of this study can be used to inform the community and better manage time-dependent diseases, such as STEMI, in the future.