Survey of coronary catheterization laboratory activity in Iran during the coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic

Mohammad Kermani-Alghoraishi; Ehsan Shirvani; Alireza Khosravi; Farshad Roghani-Dehkordi; Hasan Shemirani; Hossein Farshidi; Ahmad Reza Assareh; Seyyed Ali Moezi; Nizal Sarrafzadegan

doi:10.22122/arya.v17i0.2320

Survey of coronary catheterization laboratory activity in Iran during the coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic

ARYA Atheroscler. 2021 Mar;17(2):1-7. doi: 10.22122/arya.v17i0.2320.

Authors

Mohammad Kermani-Alghoraishi¹, Ehsan Shirvani², Alireza Khosravi³, Farshad Roghani-Dehkordi⁴, Hasan Shemirani⁴, Hossein Farshidi⁵, Ahmad Reza Assareh⁶, Seyyed Ali Moezi⁷, Nizal Sarrafzadegan⁸

Affiliations

¹ Assistant Professor, Interventional Cardiology Research Center, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
² Assistant Professor, Cardiac Rehabilitation Research Center, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
³ Professor, Hypertension Research Center, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
⁴ Professor, Interventional Cardiology Research Center, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
⁵ Professor, Cardiovascular Research Center, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran.
⁶ Professor, Atherosclerosis Research Center, School of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
⁷ Assistant Professor, Cardiovascular Diseases Research Center, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran.
⁸ Professor, Isfahan Cardiovascular Research Center, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.

Abstract

Background: With the onset of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, hospitalization and treatment of non-covid patients decreased worldwide. The aim of this study is to evaluate the admission and treatment of patients with coronary artery diseases (CADs) by examining coronary Cath labs activities in some centers of Iran during the COVID-19 period.

Methods: A retrospective, multi-center survey was conducted in four cites in Iran which participated in National Persian Registry Of CardioVascular diseasE (N-PROVE). Two periods of COVID-19 occurrence peak in Iran were compared with the same date in 2019. Information was collected on the number of diagnostic and therapeutic coronary catheterizations in both stable ischemic heart diseases (SIHDs) and acute coronary syndrome (ACS) settings.

Results: In the first peak of COVID-19 pandemic, coronary angiographies and angioplasties decreased by 37 and 38% compared to the same period in 2019, respectively. The most common indication for coronary angiography during this period was ACS [especially ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI)]; however, at the time of peak decrease, the SIHDs were the most. In the second peak of COVID-19 pandemic in Iran, 34% and 27% decrease in diagnostic and therapeutic coronary procedures were seen, respectively. During this period, the number of elective admissions increased, although it was still lower than that in 2019. The tendency to rescue percutaneous coronary intervention increased in most centers during the COVID-19 era, especially in the second peak.

Conclusion: A significant reduction in the coronary Cath lab activity has been observed during the COVID-19 pandemic that can indicate an increased risk of cardiovascular mortality and morbidity.

Keywords: Coronary Angiography; Coronary Angioplasty; Coronavirus Disease-2019; ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction; Survey.