The Peripandemic Impact of the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Management and Prognosis of ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction in China

Background: Rapid reperfusion of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) has been challenging during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak. Whether and to what degree there will be a residual impact when the COVID-19 pandemic has passed is unclear. Methods: This nationwide retrospective study was based on electronic records of STEMI patients registered in the Chinese Cardiovascular Association Database. Results: We analyzed 141,375 STEMI patients (including 4871 patients in Hubei province, where 80% of COVID-19 cases in China occurred in 2019–2020) during the pre-outbreak (23 October 2019–22 January 2020), outbreak (23 January 2020–22 April 2020), and post-outbreak (23 April 2020–22 July 2020) periods. In the post-outbreak period in Hubei province, the increased in-hospital mortality dropped to become insignificant (adjusted odds ratio compared to the pre-outbreak level (aOR) 1.40, [95% confidential interval (CI): 0.97–2.03]) and was lower than that in the outbreak period (1.62 [1.09–2.41]). The decreased odds of primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) (0.73 [0.55–0.96]) and timely reperfusion (0.74 [0.62–0.88]) persisted, although they were substantially improved compared to the outbreak period (aOR of primary PCI: 0.23 [0.18–0.30] and timely reperfusion: 0.43 [0.35–0.53]). The residual impact of COVID-19 on STEMI in the post-outbreak period in non-Hubei provinces was insignificant. Conclusions: Residual pandemic impacts on STEMI management persisted after the first wave of the COVID-19 outbreak in Hubei province, the earliest and hardest hit area in China.