Characteristics of ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction during the SARS-CoV-2 Outbreak

Background  The SARS-CoV-2 outbreak has led to radical transformation in social, economic, and healthcare systems. This may lead to profound indirect consequences on clinical presentation and management of patients with ST-segment–elevation myocardial infarction.

Objectives  The objective of this study was to describe the characteristics, management, and outcomes of patients admitted with acute myocardial infarction with ST-segment elevation (STEMI), in two tertiary reference hospitals during the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak and compare them with patients admitted in the previous year.

Methods  We analyzed data from a multicenter STEMI registry from reference centers in the South Region of Brazil from March 2019 to May 2021. The beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak was considered to be March 2020 and compared to the same period in 2019. Only patients with STEMI submitted to primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were included in the analysis. Mortality rates were compared with chi-square test. All hypothesis tests had a two-sided significance level of 5%.

Results  A total of 1169 patients admitted with STEMI were enrolled in our registry, 635 of whom were admitted during the pandemic period. The mean age of our sample was 61.6 (± 12.4) years, and 66.7% of patients were male. Pain-to-door time and door-to-balloon time were longer during the pandemic period. However, there was no difference in mortality rates or major adverse cardiovascular outcomes (MACE).

Conclusions  We observed a stable incidence of STEMI cases in our registry during the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak with higher pain-to-door time and door-to-balloon time, without any influence on mortality rates however.

COVID-19; Pandemics; Myocardial Infarction; Mortality; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

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: Characteristics of ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction during the SARS-CoV-2 Outbreak