Myocardial Infarction in Covid-19 Era: A Dramatic Dip into the Past?

Cardiology, Mater Salutis Hospital, Legnago (VR), Italy

Received Date: December 10, 2020
Published Date: December 31, 2020
Copyright: De Simone V, et al. © 2020.
Citation: De Simone V, et al. (2020). Myocardial infarction in Covid-19 era: a dramatic dip into the past?. Mathews J Cardiol. (5)1:22.         

ABSTRACT

February 21, 2020 marks the beginning of a dramatic era in Italy. Admissions for acute myocardial infarction were significantly reduced during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a parallel increase in fatality and complication rates. Hospital admissions due to ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction of patients living in our health district, were screened between February 21^st and May 3^rd, end of lockdown phase one, and compared to the same time-frame of 2019. We registered 32 admissions compared to 57 in the same 2019 time-period, accounting for a significant reduction (- 43.9%; p < 0.01). A significant delay (> 24 hrs) in seeking for first medical contact after symptoms onset has been registered in 42.5% of this year patients (median time 17 hours, interquartile range 9.5-30) compared to 7.1% (median time 6 hours, interquartile range 4-9) in the same period of 2019. The time factor influenced the clinical evolution of our patients, not only in the acute phase, so we encountered more frequently conditions of cardiogenic shock with the need for hemodynamic and respiratory support, but also in the subsequent intra-hospital course we documented complications clearly related to large infarct sizes due to patient’s delay such as left ventricular thrombus.