The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cardiac related emergency department presentations: A scoping review.

BACKGROUND

Acute cardiac conditions require timely assessment and management to optimise patient outcomes. It is important to understand whether changes in acute cardiac ED visits occurred in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVE

To provide a comprehensive synthesis of published articles regarding the impact of the pandemic on acute cardiac-related ED presentations in terms of rates, patient demographics, ED clinical characteristics, and outcomes.

METHODS

A scoping review using the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology was undertaken. Four databases (Ovid MEDLINE, CINAHL, Scopus, and the Public Health Database (ProQuest)) were searched for articles published in English between 1 January 2020 and 30 April 2022 that reported on acute cardiac-related ED presentation rates, comparing COVID-19 pandemic and non-pandemic time periods, for adult patients (18 years and over), and demographics, and/or presentation characteristics, and/or outcomes.

RESULTS

Sixteen articles met the inclusion criteria. There was a significant decline in ED presentations for heart failure and myocardial infarction during 2020. Demographic, presentation characteristics and outcomes were inconsistently reported.

CONCLUSION

While there is variation and heterogeneity in the current available evidence, this data is helpful for informing clinicians and policy makers for future pandemics as well as providing a reference point for COVID-19 related research.