Monitoring indirect impact of COVID-19 pandemic on services for cardiovascular diseases in the UK.

OBJECTIVE: To monitor hospital activity for presentation, diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases during the COVID-19) pandemic to inform on indirect effects. METHODS: Retrospective serial cross-sectional study in nine UK hospitals using hospital activity data from 28 October 2019 (pre-COVID-19) to 10 May 2020 (pre-easing of lockdown) and for the same weeks during 2018-2019. We analysed aggregate data for selected cardiovascular diseases before and during the epidemic. We produced an online visualisation tool to enable near real-time monitoring of trends. RESULTS: Across nine hospitals, total admissions and emergency department (ED) attendances decreased after lockdown (23 March 2020) by 57.9% (57.1%-58.6%) and 52.9% (52.2%-53.5%), respectively, compared with the previous year. Activity for cardiac, cerebrovascular and other vascular conditions started to decline 1-2 weeks before lockdown and fell by 31%-88% after lockdown, with the greatest reductions observed for coronary artery bypass grafts, carotid endarterectomy, aortic aneurysm repair and peripheral arterial disease procedures. Compared with before the first UK COVID-19 (31 January 2020), activity declined across diseases and specialties between the first case and lockdown (total ED attendances relative reduction (RR) 0.94, 0.93-0.95; total hospital admissions RR 0.96, 0.95-0.97) and after lockdown (attendances RR 0.63, 0.62-0.64; admissions RR 0.59, 0.57-0.60). There was limited recovery towards usual levels of some activities from mid-April 2020. CONCLUSIONS: Substantial reductions in total and cardiovascular activities are likely to contribute to a major burden of indirect effects of the pandemic, suggesting they should be monitored and mitigated urgently.

Role of cardiovascular magnetic resonance as a gatekeeper to invasive coronary angiography in patients presenting with heart failure of unknown etiology.

BACKGROUND: In patients presenting with new-onset heart failure of uncertain etiology, the role of coronary angiography (CA) is unclear. Although conventionally performed to differentiate underlying coronary artery disease from dilated cardiomyopathy, CA is associated with a risk of complications and may not detect an ischemic cause resulting from arterial recanalization or an embolic episode. In this study, we assessed the diagnostic accuracy of a cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) protocol incorporating late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) and magnetic resonance CA as a noninvasive gatekeeper to CA in determining the etiology of heart failure in this subset of patients. METHODS AND RESULTS: One hundred twenty consecutive patients underwent CMR and CA. The etiology was ascribed by a consensus panel that used the results of the CMR scans. Similarly, a separate consensus group ascribed an underlying cause by using the results of CA. The diagnostic accuracy of both strategies was compared against a gold-standard panel that made a definitive judgment by reviewing all clinical data. The study was powered to show noninferiority between the 2 techniques. The sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 96%, and diagnostic accuracy of 97% for LGE-CMR were equivalent to CA (sensitivity, 93%; specificity, 96%; and diagnostic accuracy, 95%). As a gatekeeper to CA, LGE-CMR was also found to be a cheaper diagnostic strategy in a decision tree model when United Kingdom-based costs were assumed. The economic merits of this model would change, depending on the relative costs of LGE-CMR and CA in any specific healthcare system. CONCLUSION: This study showed that LGE-CMR is a safe, clinically effective, and potentially economical gatekeeper to CA in patients presenting with heart failure of uncertain etiology.