Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on emergency management of patients admitted with ST-segment elevation miyocardial infarction

ABSTRACT Introduction and Purpose: Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. STEMI is an emergency condition that develops in case of complete blockage of the coronary artery and requires early revascularization. Covid-19 pandemic is a serious health problem that caused approximately 5 million deaths worldwide. In our country, death number due to Coronavirus disease is approximately 64 thousand. During the pandemic, there has been a noticeable decrease in the number of applications to the emergency service for non-pandemic symptoms. In this study, Covid-19 pandemic effects on emergency management of patients applied to the emergency department with STEMI were investigated. Material/Method: This study is retrospective, cross-sectional, and observational. Between March 01, 2019 – March 01, 2021, archive records of STEMI patients who applied to DEUTF Emergency Department were used. Information was obtained from the date of admission of patients, the time of admission to angiography, the ejection fraction before and after angiography, as well as previous medical conditions (comorbid diseases, smoking history, etc.) that may affect the patient's termination. Results: A total of 474 patients applied to the emergency department during this study, 271 during the before-covid period and 203 during the Covid period. In covid period, the number of patients admitted to the emergency room with STEMI symptoms lasting less than 2 hours decreased (p<0.05). After a STEMI diagnosis, it took an average of 9 minutes to consult to Cardiology. During the Covid period, the door-needle time occurred faster than in the Pre-covid period. Weekdays, weekends, and working hours had no effect on the duration of emergency coronary angiography. Conclusion: In covid period, the number of patients with STEMI symptoms lasting less 2 hours reduced. Because of the pandemic, there isn't any prolongation on the duration of consultation of patients with STEMI in emergency service. Keywords: Pandemic, STEMI, Emergency Service, Covid-19