The Impact of COVID-19 on In-Hospital Outcomes of ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction Patients

Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) is one of the important clinical procedures that have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. In this study, we aimed to assess the incidence and impact of COVID-19 on in-hospital clinical outcome of ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients managed with PPCI. This observational retrospective study was conducted on consecutive STEMI patients who presented to the International Cardiac Center (ICC) hospital, Alexandria, Egypt between 1 February and 31 October 2020. A group of STEMI patients presented during the same period in 2019 was also assessed (control group) and data was used for comparison. The inclusion criteria were established diagnosis of STEMI requiring PPCI.A total of 634 patients were included in the study. During the COVID-19 period, the number of PPCI procedures was reduced by 25.7% compared with previous year (mean 30.0 ± 4.01 vs. 40.4 ± 5.3 case/month) and the time from first medical contact to Needle (FMC-to-N) was longer (125.0 ± 53.6 vs. 52.6 ± 22.8 min, p = 0.001). Also, during COVID-19, the in-hospital mortality was higher (7.4 vs. 4.6%, p = 0.036) as was the incidence of re-infarction (12.2 vs. 7.7%, p = 0.041) and the need for revascularization (15.9 vs. 10.7%, p = 0.046). The incidence of heart failure, stroke, and bleeding was not different between groups, but hospital stay was longer during COVID-19 (6.85 ± 4.22 vs. 3.5 ± 2.3 day, p = 0.0025). Conclusion: At the ICC, COVID-19 pandemic contributed significantly to the PPCI management of STEMI patients with decreased number and delayed procedures. COVID-19 was also associated with higher in-hospital mortality, rate of re-infarction, need for revascularization, and longer hospital stay.