TY - JOUR
T1 - The Impact of COVID-19 on Diagnosis of Heart Disease in Latin America an INCAPS COVID Sub-analysis
AU - Cerci, Rodrigo Julio
AU - Vitola, João Vicente
AU - Paez, Diana
AU - Zuluaga, Alejandro
AU - Bittencourt, Marcio Sommer
AU - Sierra-Galan, Lilia M.
AU - Carrascosa, Patricia
AU - Campisi, Roxana
AU - Gutierrez-Villamil, Claudia
AU - Peix, Amalia
AU - Chambers, Duane
AU - Velez, Mayra Sánches
AU - Alvarado, Carla M.G.
AU - Ventura, Ana C.F.
AU - Maldonado, Alejandro
AU - Castanos, Alfredo P.
AU - Diaz, Teresa C.
AU - Herrera, Yariela
AU - Vasquez, Manuel C.
AU - Arrieta, Ana A.
AU - Mut, Fernando
AU - Hirschfeld, Cole
AU - Malkovskiy, Eli
AU - Goebel, Benjamin
AU - Cohen, Yosef
AU - Randazzo, Michael
AU - Shaw, Leslee J.
AU - Williams, Michelle C.
AU - Villines, Todd C.
AU - Better, Nathan
AU - Dorbala, Sharmila
AU - Raggi, Paolo
AU - Pascual, Thomas N.B.
AU - Pynda, Yaroslav
AU - Dondi, Maurizio
AU - Einstein, Andrew J.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2022, Arquivos Brasileiros de Cardiologia. All rights reserved.
PY - 2022
Y1 - 2022
N2 - Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the delivery of care for cardiovascular diseases in Latin America. However, the effect of the pandemic on the cardiac diagnostic procedure volumes has not been quantified. Objective: To assess (1) the impact of COVID-19 on cardiac diagnostic volumes in Latin America and (2) determine its relationship with COVID-19 case incidence and social distancing measures. Methods: The International Atomic Energy Agency conducted a worldwide survey assessing changes in cardiac diagnostic volumes resulting from COVID-19. Cardiac diagnostic volumes were obtained from participating sites for March and April 2020 and compared to March 2019. Social distancing data were collected from Google COVID-19 community mobility reports and COVID-19 incidence per country from the Our World in Data. Results: Surveys were conducted in 194 centers performing cardiac diagnostic procedures, in 19 countries in Latin America. Procedure volumes decreased 36% from March 2019 to March 2020, and 82% from March 2019 to April 2020. The greatest decreases occurred in echocardiogram stress tests (91%), exercise treadmill tests (88%), and computed tomography calcium scores (87%), with slight variations between sub-regions of Latin America. Changes in social distancing patterns (p < 0.001) were more strongly associated with volume reduction than COVID-19 incidence (p = 0.003). Conclusions: COVID-19 was associated with a significant reduction in cardiac diagnostic procedures in Latin America, which was more related to social distancing than to the COVID-19 incidence. Better balance and timing of social distancing measures and planning to maintain access to medical care is warranted during a pandemic surge, especially in regions with high cardiovascular mortality.
AB - Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the delivery of care for cardiovascular diseases in Latin America. However, the effect of the pandemic on the cardiac diagnostic procedure volumes has not been quantified. Objective: To assess (1) the impact of COVID-19 on cardiac diagnostic volumes in Latin America and (2) determine its relationship with COVID-19 case incidence and social distancing measures. Methods: The International Atomic Energy Agency conducted a worldwide survey assessing changes in cardiac diagnostic volumes resulting from COVID-19. Cardiac diagnostic volumes were obtained from participating sites for March and April 2020 and compared to March 2019. Social distancing data were collected from Google COVID-19 community mobility reports and COVID-19 incidence per country from the Our World in Data. Results: Surveys were conducted in 194 centers performing cardiac diagnostic procedures, in 19 countries in Latin America. Procedure volumes decreased 36% from March 2019 to March 2020, and 82% from March 2019 to April 2020. The greatest decreases occurred in echocardiogram stress tests (91%), exercise treadmill tests (88%), and computed tomography calcium scores (87%), with slight variations between sub-regions of Latin America. Changes in social distancing patterns (p < 0.001) were more strongly associated with volume reduction than COVID-19 incidence (p = 0.003). Conclusions: COVID-19 was associated with a significant reduction in cardiac diagnostic procedures in Latin America, which was more related to social distancing than to the COVID-19 incidence. Better balance and timing of social distancing measures and planning to maintain access to medical care is warranted during a pandemic surge, especially in regions with high cardiovascular mortality.
KW - COVID-19
KW - Cardiac Testing
KW - Cardiovascular Disease
KW - Coronavírus
KW - Global Health
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85129972423&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.36660/abc.20210388
DO - 10.36660/abc.20210388
M3 - Article
C2 - 35137793
AN - SCOPUS:85129972423
SN - 0066-782X
VL - 118
SP - 745
EP - 753
JO - Arquivos Brasileiros de Cardiologia
JF - Arquivos Brasileiros de Cardiologia
IS - 4
ER -