Impact of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic on Cardiac Arrest and Emergency Care

Murtaza Bharmal; Kyle DiGrande; Akash Patel; David M Shavelle; Nichole Bosson

doi:10.1016/j.hfc.2022.08.009

Impact of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic on Cardiac Arrest and Emergency Care

Heart Fail Clin. 2023 Apr;19(2):231-240. doi: 10.1016/j.hfc.2022.08.009.

Authors

Murtaza Bharmal¹, Kyle DiGrande¹, Akash Patel¹, David M Shavelle², Nichole Bosson³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Cardiology, University of California Irvine Medical Center, 510 E Peltason Drive, Irvine, CA 92697, USA.
² MemorialCare Heart and Vascular Institute, Long Beach Medical Center, 2801 Atlantic Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90807, USA.
³ Los Angeles County Emergency Medical Services Agency, 10100 Pioneer Boulevard Ste 200, Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670, USA; Department of Emergency Medicine, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, 1000 W Carson Street, Torrance, CA, 90509, USA; David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, 10833 Le Conte Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].

Abstract

The incidence of both out-of-hospital and in-hospital cardiac arrest increased during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Patient survival and neurologic outcome after both out-of-hospital and in-hospital cardiac arrest were reduced. Direct effects of the COVID-19 illness combined with indirect effects of the pandemic on patient's behavior and health care systems contributed to these changes. Understanding the potential factors offers the opportunity to improve future response and save lives.

Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic; Cardiac arrest; Emergency care; In-hospital cardiac arrest; Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

COVID-19* / epidemiology
Emergency Medical Services*
Emergency Treatment*
Heart Arrest* / epidemiology
Heart Arrest* / therapy
Humans
Pandemics