Characteristics and Outcomes of Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome and COVID-19

Comparison of the Effects of Recent Coronavirus 2019 Infection and Vaccination on the Prognosis of Acute Coronary Syndrome: A Retrospective Study Conducted in a Single Center in Türkiye

BACKGROUND

We aimed to examine the effects of COVID-19 infection versus vaccination within the month prior to acute coronary syndrome (ACS) diagnosis with respect to their impact on the development of mortality or major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE).

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study included patients hospitalized with a diagnosis of ACS between June 2020 and December 2022. Patients diagnosed with ACS were grouped according to the presence of COVID-19 infection (post-COVID), vaccination (post-vaccine), or non-exposure during the month prior to ACS diagnosis. Patients with and without MACE were also compared separately.

RESULTS

We analyzed 1890 ACS patients (mean age 57.43 ± 11.53 years, 79.15% males). Of these, 319 (16.88%) were in the post-vaccine group, and 334 (17.67%) were in the post-COVID group. Major adverse cardiovascular events occurred in 569 (30.11%) patients. Mortality was recorded in 271 (14.34%) patients. In the post-COVID group, the frequencies of MACE and mortality and length of stay in hospital were significantly higher (vs. post-vaccine and vs. non-exposure groups; both P <.001). High age, ST-elevation myocardial infarction, having suffered from Post-COVID ACS, and high glucose were independently associated with increased MACE risk; whereas, hyperlipidemia, 3 or more COVID vaccinations, receipt of the Biontech vaccine, and high estimated glomerular filtration rate were independently associated with decreased MACE risk.

CONCLUSION

Acute coronary syndrome patients who have recently had COVID-19 infection may have a worse prognostic course compared to those with recent vaccination, necessitating continuing care for pandemic-related risk factors as well as previously known factors impacting MACE and prognosis.

Simultaneous Double-Vessel Coronary Thrombosis with Sudden Cardiac Arrest as the First Manifestation of COVID-19

The relationship between coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and myocardial injury was established at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. An increase in the incidence of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest was also observed. This case report aims to point to the prothrombotic and proinflammatory nature of coronavirus infection, leading to simultaneous coronary vessel thrombosis and subsequently to out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. During the COVID-19 pandemic, a 46-year-old male patient with no comorbidities suffered out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) with ventricular fibrillation as the first recorded rhythm. The applied cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) measures initiated by bystanders and continued by emergency medical service (EMS) resulted in the return of spontaneous circulation. The stabilized patient was transferred to the tertiary university center. Electrocardiogram (ECG) revealed "lambda-like" ST-segment elevation in DI and aVL leads, necessitating an immediate coronary angiography, which demonstrated simultaneous occlusion of the left anterior descending (LAD) and right coronary artery (RCA). Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with the implantation of one drug-eluting stent (DES) in LAD and two DES in RCA was done. Due to the presence of cardiogenic shock (SCAI C), an intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) was implanted during the procedure, and due to the comatose state and shockable cardiac arrest, targeted temperature management was initiated. The baseline chest X-ray revealed bilateral interstitial infiltrates, followed by increased proinflammatory markers and a positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) demasking underlying COVID-19-related pneumonia. Within the following 48 h, the patient was hemodynamically stable, which enabled weaning from IABP and vasopressor discontinuation. However, due to the worsening of COVID-19 pneumonia, prolonged mechanical ventilation, together with antibiotics and other supportive measures, was needed. The applied therapy resulted in clinical improvement, and the patient was extubated and finally discharged on Day 26, with no neurological sequelae and with mildly reduced left ventricle ejection fraction.

Epidemiological, clinical, and economic burden of myocardial infarction patients in Iran during the COVID-19 pandemic

Background

To define changes in AMI case rates, patient demographics, cardiovascular comorbidities, treatment approaches, in-hospital outcomes, and the economic burden of COVID-19 during the pandemic.

Methods

We conducted a multicenter, observational survey with selected hospitals from three medical universities in Tehran city. A data collection tool consisting of three parts. The first part included socio-demographic information, and the second part included clinical information, major complications, and in-hospital mortality. Finally, the third part was related to the direct medical costs generated by AMI in COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients. The study cohort comprised 4,560 hospitalizations for AMI (2,935 for STEMI [64%] and 1,625 for NSTEMI [36%]).

Results

Of those hospitalized for AMI, 1,864 (76.6 %) and 1,659 (78 %) were male before the COVID-19 outbreak and during the COVID-19 era, respectively. The length of stay (LOS), was significantly lower during the COVID-19 pandemic era (4.27 ± 3.63 vs 5.24 ± 5.17, p = 0.00). Results showed that there were no significant differences in terms of patient risk factors across periods. A total of 2,126 AMIs were registered during the COVID-19 era, with a 12.65 % reduction (95 % CI 1.5-25.1) compared with the equivalent time in 2019 (P = 0.179). The risk of in-hospital mortality rate for AMI patients increased from 4.9 % in 2019 to 7.0 % in the COVID-19 era (OR = 1.42; 95 % CI 1.11-1.82; P = 0.004). Major complications were registered in 9.7 % of cases in 2020, which is higher than the rate of 6.6 % reported in 2019 (OR = 1.46, 95 % CI 1.11-1.82; P = 0.000). Total costs in hospitalized AMI-COVID patients averaged $188 more than in AMI patients (P = 0.020).

Conclusion

This cross-sectional study found important changes in AMI hospitalization rates, worse outcomes, and higher costs during the COVID-19 periods. Future studies are recommended to examine the long-term outcomes of hospitalized AMI patients during the COVID-19 era.

Acute Myocardial Infarction in the Era of COVID-19: A Challenge in a Challenge

From the very beginning, the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) has tested the healthcare systems, having unpredictable and extreme adverse impacts on acute care clinical settings [...].

Clinical characteristics of COVID-19 associated vasculopathic diseases

Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) has shown to be an infectious disease affecting not only of the respiratory system, but also cardiovascular system leading to different COVID-19-associated vasculopathies. Venous and arterial thromboembolic events have been frequently described among hospitalized patients with COVID-19 and inflammatory vasculopathic changes have also been observed. Several of the reported COVID-19 associated vasculopathies exhibit differences on epidemiology, clinical characteristics and outcome compared to non-COVID-19 types. This review focuses on the epidemiology, clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic characteristics as well as outcome data of COVID-19 associated thromboembolic events and inflammatory vasculopathies, elaborating similarities and differences with non-COVID-19 cohorts.

A Brief Analysis of a New Device to Prevent Early Intubation in Hypoxemic Patients: An Observational Study

The need for mechanical ventilation is one of the main concerns related to the care of patients with COVID-19. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of a bubble device for oxygen supplementation. This device was implemented for the selected patients hospitalized with severe COVID-19 pneumonia with persistent low oxygen saturation. Patients were selected in three major COVID-19 hospitals of Bahia state in Brazil from July to November 2020, where they remained with the device for seven days and were monitored for different factors, such as vital signs, oximetry evaluation, and arterial blood gasometry. Among the 51 patients included in the study, 68.63% successfully overcame hypoxemia without the necessity to be transferred to mechanical ventilation, whereas 31.37% required tracheal intubation (p value < 0.05). There was no difference of note on the analysis of the clinical data, chemistry, and hematological evaluation, with the exception of the SpO2 on follow-up days. Multivariate analysis revealed that the independent variable, male sex, SpO2, and non-inhaled mask, was associated with the necessity of requiring early mechanical ventilation. We concluded that this bubble device should be a prior step to be utilized before indication of mechanical ventilation in patients with persistent hypoxemia of severe COVID-19 pneumonia.