IMPACT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON CLINICAL OUTCOMES OF ACS: RETROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS FROM AN ITALIAN CARDIOLOGY NETWORK

Several authors worldwide have reported a significant decrease in hospital admissions for acutecoronary syndromes (ACSs) during the most recent months of the COVID-19 outbreak. The causesof this pattern and its impact on patients and hospital management have been studied. Weconducted a monocentric, observational, retrospective study aimed at evaluating consecutivepatients discharged from our local network with a diagnosis of ACS from the 20th of February2020 to the 30th of April 2020. 201 patients with ACS were included in the analysis. The numberof patients with NSTE (Non-ST elevation}-ACS dropped from 84 (65%) in 2019 to 21 (44.4%) in2020 (62% reduction, p < 0.01), while more patients with a diagnosis of STEMI were admitted in2020. 38 composite events were observed in 2020, while only 34 patients free fromConversely, in the 2019 ACS group, 37 events were recorded, while 92 patients did not developany events (RR 1.82; 1.29- 2.6 95% CI; p<0.01). Delay in diagnosis and treatment of patients withACS has: significant impact public health costs and sustainability of care, since it is associatedwith a significant increase in short-term complications and deaths. Public health messaging andproper healthcare services organization should play a crucial role in adjusting the system to the newneeds of public health.