State of the STEMI Care Network after the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. The experience of a high-volume centre

Abstract

To the Editor, The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic had enormous repercussions for the management of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) worldwide.1,2 Overall, the number of patients treated with primary angioplasty in Spain dropped while ischemia time increased from symptom onset until reperfusion.3 The early phase of the pandemic gave rise to a period of consecutive outbreaks during which the management of STEMI seems to have improved thanks to a less saturated healthcare system and the implementation of proper healthcare protocols.4 However, data on the possible side effects associated with the functioning of the healthcare systems in the STEMI Care Network after the first phase of the pandemic are scarce. In the Madrid area, our hospital is one of the highest-volume centers regarding primary angioplasty as it takes over nearly 20% of all activations in the region.5 We present our experience with the STEMI Care Network in the months that followed the de-escalation of June 2020 when the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic ended in Spain. Our center STEMI Care Network activation times were analyzed during the first phase of the pandemic (March 14 through June 21, 2020), as well as in the previous and following 12 months. Also, consistent with...