Effect of COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown on Emergency Medical Service Utilisation, and Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Volume-An Australian Perspective.

BACKGROUND: Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) admissions and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) volume declined during periods of COVID-19 lockdown internationally in 2020. The effect of lockdown on emergency medical service (EMS) utilisation, and PCI volume during the initial phase of the pandemic in Australia has not been well described. METHOD: We analysed data from the Victorian Cardiac Outcomes Registry (VCOR), a state-wide PCI registry, linked with the Ambulance Victoria EMS registry. PCI volume, 30-day major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE; composite of mortality, myocardial infarction, stent thrombosis, unplanned revascularisation, and stroke), and EMS utilisation were compared over four time periods: lockdown (26 Mar 2020-12 May 2020); pre-lockdown (26 Feb 2020-25 Mar 2020); post-lockdown (13 May 2020-10 Jul 2020); and the year prior (26 Mar 2019-12 May 2019). Interrupted time series analysis was performed to assess PCI trends within and between consecutive periods. RESULTS: The EMS utilisation for ACS during lockdown was higher compared with other periods: lockdown 39.4% vs pre-lockdown 29.7%; vs post-lockdown 33.6%; vs year prior 27.1%; all p<0.01. Median daily PCI cases were similar: 31 (IQR 10, 38) during lockdown; 39 (15, 49) pre-lockdown; 39.5 (11, 44) post-lockdown; and, 42 (10, 49) the year prior; all p>0.05. Median door-to-procedure time for ACS indication during lockdown was shorter at 3 hours (1.2, 20.6) vs pre-lockdown 3.9 (1.7, 21); vs post-lockdown 3.5 (1.5, 21.26); and, the year prior 3.5 (1.5, 23.7); all p<0.05. Lockdown period was associated with lower odds for 30-day MACCE compared to pre-lockdown (odds ratio [OR] 0.55 [0.33-0.93]; p=0.026); post-lockdown (OR 0.66; [0.40-1.06]; p=0.087); and the year prior (OR 0.55 [0.33-0.93]; p=0.026). CONCLUSIONS: Contrary to international trends, EMS utilisation for ACS increased during lockdown but PCI volumes remained similar throughout the initial stages of the pandemic in Victoria, with no observed adverse effect on 30-day MACCE during lockdown. These data suggest that the public health response in Victoria was not associated with poorer quality cardiovascular care in patients receiving PCI.

Prevalence and outcomes of patients with SMuRF-less acute coronary syndrome undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention.

BACKGROUND: There is increasing awareness that patients without standard modifiable risk factors (SMuRFs; diabetes, hypercholesterolaemia, hypertension and smoking) may represent a unique subset of patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). We aimed to investigate the prevalence and outcomes of patients with SMuRF-less ACS undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) compared with those with SMuRFs. METHODS: We analysed data from the Melbourne Interventional Group PCI Registry. Patients with coronary artery disease were excluded. The primary outcome was 30-day mortality. Secondary outcomes included in-hospital and 30-day events. Long-term mortality was investigated using Cox-proportional hazards regression. RESULTS: From 1 January 2005 to 31 December 2020, 2727/18 988 (14.4%) patients were SMuRF less, with the proportion increasing over time. Mean age was similar for patients with and without SMuRFs (63 years), and fewer females were SMuRF-less (19.8% vs 25.4%, p<0.001). SMuRF-less patients were more likely to present with cardiac arrest (6.6% vs 3.9%, p<0.001) and ST-elevation myocardial infarction (59.1% vs 50.8%, p<0.001) and were more likely to experience postprocedural cardiogenic shock (4.5% vs 3.6%, p=0.019) and arrhythmia (11.2% vs 9.9%, p=0.029). At 30 days, mortality, myocardial infarction, revascularisation and major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events did not differ between the groups. During median follow-up of 7 years, SMuRF-less patients had an adjusted 13% decreased rate of mortality (HR 0.87 (95% CI 0.78 to 0.97)). CONCLUSIONS: The proportion of SMuRF-less patients increased over time. Presentation was more often a devastating cardiac event compared with those with SMuRFs. No difference in 30-day outcomes was observed and SMuRF-less patients had lower hazard for long-term mortality.

Testosterone and the risk of incident atrial fibrillation in older men: further analysis of the ASPREE study.

Background: A cardiovascular safety trial of testosterone in men with cardiovascular risk factors or disease found no difference in rates of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) or death but noted more atrial fibrillation (AF) events in testosterone-treated men. We investigated the relationship between endogenous testosterone concentrations with risk of developing AF in healthy older men. Methods: Post-hoc analysis of 4570 male participants in the ASPirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly (ASPREE) study. Men were aged ≥ 70 years, had no history of cardiovascular disease (including AF), thyroid disease, prostate cancer, dementia, or life-threatening illnesses. Risk of AF was modelled using Cox proportional hazards regression. Findings: Median (IQR) age was 73.7 (71.6-77.1) years and median (IQR) follow-up 4.4 (3.3-5.5) years, during which 286 men developed AF (15.3 per 1000 participant-years). Baseline testosterone was higher in men who developed incident AF compared men who did not [17.0 (12.4-21.2) vs 15.7 (12.2-20.0) nmol/L]. There was a non-linear association of baseline testosterone with incident AF. The risk for AF was higher in men with testosterone in quintiles (Q) 4&5 (Q4:Q3, HR = 1.91; 95%CI = 1.29-2.83 and Q5:Q3HR = 1.98; 95%CI = 1.33-2.94). Results were similar after excluding men who experienced MACE or heart failure during follow-up. Interpretation: Circulating testosterone concentrations within the high-normal range are independently associated with an increased risk of incident AF amongst healthy older men. This suggests that AF may be an adverse consequence of high-normal total testosterone concentrations. Funding: National Institute on Aging and National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health; Australian Government (NHMRC, CSIRO); Monash University; and AlfredHealth.

Healthcare and economic cost burden of emergency medical services treated non-traumatic shock using a population-based cohort in Victoria, Australia.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to assess the healthcare costs and impact on the economy at large arising from emergency medical services (EMS) treated non-traumatic shock. DESIGN: We conducted a population-based cohort study, where EMS-treated patients were individually linked to hospital-wide and state-wide administrative datasets. Direct healthcare costs (Australian dollars, AUD) were estimated for each element of care using a casemix funding method. The impact on productivity was assessed using a Markov state-transition model with a 3-year horizon. SETTING: Patients older than 18 years of age with shock not related to trauma who received care by EMS (1 January 2015-30 June 2019) in Victoria, Australia were included in the analysis. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome assessed was the total healthcare expenditure. Secondary outcomes included healthcare expenditure stratified by shock aetiology, years of life lived (YLL), productivity-adjusted life-years (PALYs) and productivity losses. RESULTS: A total of 21 334 patients (mean age 65.9 (±19.1) years, and 9641 (45.2%) females were treated by EMS with non-traumatic shock with an average healthcare-related cost of $A11 031 per episode of care and total cost of $A280 million. Annual costs remained stable throughout the study period, but average costs per episode of care increased (Ptrend=0.05). Among patients who survived to hospital, the average cost per episode of care was stratified by aetiology with cardiogenic shock costing $A24 382, $A21 254 for septic shock, $A19 915 for hypovolaemic shock and $A28 057 for obstructive shock. Modelling demonstrated that over a 3-year horizon the cohort lost 24 355 YLLs and 5059 PALYs. Lost human capital due to premature mortality led to productivity-related losses of $A374 million. When extrapolated to the entire Australian population, productivity losses approached $A1.5 billion ($A326 million annually). CONCLUSION: The direct healthcare costs and indirect loss of productivity among patients with non-traumatic shock are high. Targeted public health measures that seek to reduce the incidence of shock and improve systems of care are needed to reduce the financial burden of this syndrome.

Clinical Outcomes of Renal Transplant Recipients Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

BACKGROUND: Clinical outcomes of patients with renal transplant (RT) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) remain poorly elucidated. METHOD: Between 2014 and 2021, data were analysed for the following three groups of patients undergoing PCI enrolled in a multicentre Australian registry: (1) RT recipients (n=226), (2) patients on dialysis (n=992), and (3) chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients (estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR], 30‒60 mL/min per 1.73 m2) without previous RT (n=15,534). Primary outcome was 30-day major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs)-composite of mortality, myocardial infarction, stent thrombosis, target vessel revascularisation, and stroke. RESULTS: RT recipients were younger than dialysis and patients with CKD (61±10 vs 68±12 vs 78±8.2 years, p<0.001). Patients with RT less frequently had severe left ventricular dysfunction compared with dialysis and CKD groups (6.7% vs 14% and 8.5%); however more, often presented with acute coronary syndrome (58% vs 52% and 48%), especially STEMI (all p<0.001). Patients with RT and CKD had lower rates of 30-day MACCE (4.4% and 6.8% vs 11.6%, p<0.001) than the dialysis group. Three-year survival was similar between RT and CKD groups, however was lower in the dialysis group (80% and 83% vs 60%, p<0.001). After adjustment, dialysis was an independent predictor of 30-day MACCE (odds ratio [OR] 1.90, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.44‒2.50, p<0.001), however RT was not (OR 0.91, CI 0.42‒1.96, p=0.802). Both RT (hazard ratio [HR] 2.07, CI 1.46‒2.95, p<0.001) and dialysis (HR 1.35, CI 1.02‒1.80, p=0.036) heightened the hazard of long-term mortality. CONCLUSIONS: RT recipients have more favourable clinical outcomes following PCI compared with patients on dialysis. However, despite having similar short-term outcomes to patients with CKD, the hazard of long-term mortality is significantly greater for RT recipients.

Association of socioeconomic status in the incidence, quality-of-care metrics, and outcomes for patients with cardiogenic shock in a pre-hospital setting.

AIMS: The relationship between lower socioeconomic status (SES) and poor cardiovascular outcomes is well described; however, there exists a paucity of data exploring this association in cardiogenic shock (CS). This study aimed to investigate whether any disparities exist between SES and the incidence, quality of care or outcomes of CS patients attended by emergency medical services (EMS). METHODS AND RESULTS: This population-based cohort study included consecutive patients transported by EMS with CS between 1 January 2015 and 30 June 2019 in Victoria, Australia. Data were collected from individually linked ambulance, hospital, and mortality datasets. Patients were stratified into SES quintiles using national census data produced by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.A total of 2628 patients were attended by EMS for CS. The age-standardized incidence of CS amongst all patients was 11.8 [95% confidence interval (95% CI), 11.4-12.3] per 100 000 person-years, with a stepwise increase from the highest to lowest SES quintile (lowest quintile 17.0 vs. highest quintile 9.7 per 100 000 person-years, P-trend < 0.001). Patients in lower SES quintiles were less likely to attend metropolitan hospitals and more likely to be received by inner regional and remote centres without revascularization capabilities. A greater proportion of the lower SES groups presented with CS due to non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) or unstable angina pectoris (UAP), and overall were less likely to undergo coronary angiography. Multivariable analysis demonstrated an increased 30-day all-cause mortality rate in the lowest three SES quintiles when compared with the highest quintile. CONCLUSION: This population-based study demonstrated discrepancies between SES status in the incidence, care metrics, and mortality rates of patients presenting to EMS with CS. These findings outline the challenges in equitable healthcare delivery within this cohort.

The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: An individual patient data meta-analysis.

AIM: Prior studies have reported increased out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA) incidence and lower survival during the COVID-19 pandemic. We evaluated how the COVID-19 pandemic affected OHCA incidence, bystander CPR rate and patients' outcomes, accounting for regional COVID-19 incidence and OHCA characteristics. METHODS: Individual patient data meta-analysis of studies which provided a comparison of OHCA incidence during the first pandemic wave (COVID-period) with a reference period of the previous year(s) (pre-COVID period). We computed COVID-19 incidence per 100,000 inhabitants in each of 97 regions per each week and divided it into its quartiles. RESULTS: We considered a total of 49,882 patients in 10 studies. OHCA incidence increased significantly compared to previous years in regions where weekly COVID-19 incidence was in the fourth quartile (>136/100,000/week), and patients in these regions had a lower odds of bystander CPR (OR 0.49, 95%CI 0.29-0.81, p = 0.005). Overall, the COVID-period was associated with an increase in medical etiology (89.2% vs 87.5%, p < 0.001) and OHCAs at home (74.7% vs 67.4%, p < 0.001), and a decrease in shockable initial rhythm (16.5% vs 20.3%, p < 0.001). The COVID-period was independently associated with pre-hospital death (OR 1.73, 95%CI 1.55-1.93, p < 0.001) and negatively associated with survival to hospital admission (OR 0.68, 95%CI 0.64-0.72, p < 0.001) and survival to discharge (OR 0.50, 95%CI 0.46-0.54, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: During the first COVID-19 pandemic wave, there was higher OHCA incidence and lower bystander CPR rate in regions with a high-burden of COVID-19. COVID-19 was also associated with a change in patient characteristics and lower survival independently of COVID-19 incidence in the region where OHCA occurred.

Association of a healthy lifestyle with mortality in older people.

BACKGROUND: Unhealthy lifestyle behaviours such as smoking, high alcohol consumption, poor diet or low physical activity are associated with morbidity and mortality. Public health guidelines provide recommendations for adherence to these four factors, however, their relationship to the health of older people is less certain. METHODS: The study involved 11,340 Australian participants (median age 7.39 [Interquartile Range (IQR) 71.7, 77.3]) from the ASPirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly study, followed for a median of 6.8 years (IQR: 5.7, 7.9). We investigated whether a point-based lifestyle score based on adherence to guidelines for a healthy diet, physical activity, non-smoking and moderate alcohol consumption was associated with subsequent all-cause and cause-specific mortality. RESULTS: In multivariable adjusted models, compared to those in the unfavourable lifestyle group, individuals in the moderate lifestyle group (Hazard Ratio (HR) 0.73 [95% CI 0.61, 0.88]) and favourable lifestyle group (HR 0.68 [95% CI 0.56, 0.83]) had lower risk of all-cause mortality. A similar pattern was observed for cardiovascular related mortality and non-cancer/non-cardiovascular related mortality. There was no association of lifestyle with cancer-related mortality. CONCLUSIONS: In a large cohort of initially healthy older people, reported adherence to a healthy lifestyle is associated with reduced risk of all-cause and cause-specific mortality. Adherence to all four lifestyle factors resulted in the strongest protection.

Association of cardiovascular health and risk prediction algorithms with subclinical atherosclerosis identified by carotid ultrasound.

Background: The requirement for laboratory tests to assess conventional cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk may be a barrier to the early detection and management of atherosclerosis in some population groups. A simpler risk assessment could facilitate detection of CVD. Objectives: The association of the Fuster-BEWAT Score (FBS), Framingham Risk Score (FRS), and Pooled Cohort Equation (PCE) with the presence of carotid plaque was investigated, with the intention of developing a stepped screening process for the primary prevention of CVD. Methods: Asymptomatic participants with a family history of premature CVD had an absolute cardiovascular disease risk (ACVDR) score calculated using the FBS, FRS, and PCE risk equations. This risk classification was compared with the presence or absence of carotid plaque on ultrasound. Prediction of carotid plaque presence by risk scores and risk factors was assessed by logistic regression and area under the curve (AUC) for discrimination and diagnostic performance. A classification and regression-tree (CART) model was obtained for stratification of risk assessment. Results: Risk score calculation and ultrasound scanning were performed in 1031 participants, of whom 51 had carotid plaques. Participants with plaque and male sex showed higher risk (higher PCE and FRS and lower FBS, as higher scores of FBS indicate better cardiovascular health). Participants ≤50 years of age showed the FBS was a significant predictor; there was a reduced likelihood of plaque presence with a higher score (OR 0.54, 95% CI 0.39-0.75, P < .01). Higher ACVDR (evidenced by higher PCE and FRS scores and lower FBS score) was associated with an increased likelihood of carotid plaque; however, the FBS and the addition of risk factors not included in the equation showed the highest AUC (AUC = 0.76, P < .001). CART modeling showed that participants with FBS between 6 and 9 would be recommended for further risk stratification using the PCE, whereupon a PCE score ≥5% conferred an increased risk and greater possibility for plaque. Validation of the model using a different cohort showed similar risk stratification for plaque presence according to level of risk by CART analysis. Conclusion: FBS was able to identify the presence of carotid plaque in asymptomatic individuals. Its use for initial risk delineation might improve the selection of patients for more specific and complex assessment, reducing cost and time.

Use of a novel smartphone-based application tool for enrolment and randomisation in pre-hospital clinical trials.

The effective recruitment and randomisation of patients in pre-hospital clinical trials presents unique challenges. Owing to the time critical nature of many pre-hospital emergencies and limited resourcing, the use of traditional methods of randomisation that may include centralised telephone or web-based systems are often not practicable or feasible. Previous technological limitations have necessitated that pre-hospital trialists strike a compromise between implementing pragmatic, deliverable study designs, with robust enrolment and randomisation methodologies. In this commentary piece, we present a novel smartphone-based solution that has the potential to align pre-hospital clinical trial recruitment processes to that of best-in-practice in-hospital and ambulatory care based studies.

Associations of Change in Body Size With All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality Among Healthy Older Adults.

Importance: The association between weight change and subsequent cause-specific mortality among older adults is not well described. The significance of changes in waist circumference (WC) has also not been compared with weight change for this purpose. Objective: To examine the associations of changes in body weight and WC with all-cause and cause-specific mortality. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cohort study is a post hoc analysis of data from the Aspirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly (ASPREE) randomized clinical trial, which recruited participants between March 1, 2010, and December 31, 2014. The study included community-based older adults (16 703 Australian participants aged ≥70 years and 2411 US participants aged ≥65 years) without evident cardiovascular disease (CVD), dementia, physical disability, or life-limiting chronic illness. Data analysis was performed from April to September 2022. Exposures: Body weight and WC were measured at baseline and at annual visit 2. Analysis models were adjusted for baseline body mass index because height and weight were measured at baseline, allowing for calculation of body mass index and other variables. Both body weight and WC changes were categorized as change within 5% (stable), decrease by 5% to 10%, decrease by more than 10%, increase by 5% to 10%, and increase by more than 10%. Main Outcomes and Measures: All-cause, cancer-specific, CVD-specific, and noncancer non-CVD-specific mortality. Mortality events were adjudicated by an expert review panel. Cox proportional hazards regression and competing risk analyses were used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs. Results: Among 16 523 participants (mean [SD] age, 75.0 [4.3] years; 9193 women [55.6%]), 1256 deaths were observed over a mean (SD) of 4.4 (1.7) years. Compared with men with stable weight, those with a 5% to 10% weight loss had a 33% higher (HR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.07-1.66) risk of all-cause mortality, and those with more than a 10% decrease in body weight had a 289% higher (HR, 3.89; 95% CI, 2.93-5.18) risk. Compared with women with stable weight, those with a 5% to 10% weight loss had a 26% higher (HR, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.00-1.60) risk of all-cause mortality, and those with more than a 10% decrease in body weight had a 114% higher (HR, 2.14; 95% CI, 1.58-2.91) risk. Weight loss was associated with a higher cancer-specific mortality (>10% decrease among men: HR, 3.49; 95% CI, 2.26-5.40; 5%-10% decrease among women: HR, 1.44; 95% CI, 1.46-2.04; >10% decrease among women: HR, 2.78; 95% CI, 1.82-4.26), CVD-specific mortality (>10% decrease among men: HR, 3.14; 95% CI, 1.63-6.04; >10% decrease among women: HR, 1.92; 95% CI, 1.05-3.51), and noncancer non-CVD-specific mortality (>10% decrease among men: HR, 4.98; 95% CI, 3.14-7.91). A decrease in WC was also associated with mortality. Conclusions and Relevance: This cohort study of healthy older adults suggests that weight loss was associated with an increase in all-cause and cause-specific mortality, including an increased risk of cancer, CVD, and other life-limiting conditions. Physicians should be aware of the significance of weight loss, especially among older men.

Association of a Healthy Lifestyle with Mortality in Older People.

Background: Unhealthy lifestyle behaviours such as smoking, high alcohol consumption, poor diet or low physical activity are associated with morbidity and premature mortality. Public health guidelines provide recommendations for adherence to these four factors, however, their impact on the health of older people is less certain. Methods: The study involved 11,340 Australian participants (median age 7.39 [Interquartile Range (IQR) 71.7, 77.3]) from the ASPirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly study, followed for a median of 6.8 years (IQR: 5.7, 7.9). We investigated whether a point-based lifestyle score based on adherence to guidelines for a healthy diet, physical activity, non-smoking and moderate alcohol consumption was associated with all-cause and cause-specific mortality. Results: In multivariable adjusted models, compared to those in the unfavourable lifestyle group, individuals in the moderate lifestyle group (Hazard Ratio (HR) 0.73 [95% CI 0.61, 0.88]) and favourable lifestyle group (HR 0.68 [95% CI 0.56, 0.83]) had lower risk of all-cause mortality. A similar pattern was observed for cardiovascular related mortality and non-cancer/non-cardiovascular related mortality. There was no association of lifestyle with cancer-related mortality. Stratified analysis indicated larger effect sizes among males, those ≤ 73 years old and among those in the aspirin treatment group. Conclusions: In a large cohort of initially healthy older people, reported adherence to a healthy lifestyle is associated with reduced risk of all-cause and cause-specific mortality.

Chest Pain Management Using Prehospital Point-of-Care Troponin and Paramedic Risk Assessment.

Importance: Prehospital point-of-care troponin testing and paramedic risk stratification might improve the efficiency of chest pain care pathways compared with existing processes with equivalent health outcomes, but the association with health care costs is unclear. Objective: To analyze whether prehospital point-of-care troponin testing and paramedic risk stratification could result in cost savings compared with existing chest pain care pathways. Design, Setting, and Participants: In this economic evaluation of adults with acute chest pain without ST-segment elevation, cost-minimization analysis was used to assess linked ambulance, emergency, and hospital attendance in the state of Victoria, Australia, between January 1, 2015, and June 30, 2019. Interventions: Paramedic risk stratification and point-of-care troponin testing. Main Outcomes and Measures: The outcome was estimated mean annualized statewide costs for acute chest pain. Between May 17 and June 25, 2022, decision tree models were developed to estimate costs under 3 pathways: (1) existing care, (2) paramedic risk stratification and point-of-care troponin testing without prehospital discharge, or (3) prehospital discharge and referral to a virtual emergency department (ED) for low-risk patients. Probabilities for the prehospital pathways were derived from a review of the literature. Multivariable probabilistic sensitivity analysis with 50 000 Monte Carlo iterations was used to estimate mean costs and cost differences among pathways. Results: A total of 188 551 patients attended by ambulance for chest pain (mean [SD] age, 61.9 [18.3] years; 50.5% female; 49.5% male; Indigenous Australian, 2.0%) were included in the model. Estimated annualized infrastructure and staffing costs for the point-of-care troponin pathways, assuming a 5-year device life span, was $2.27 million for the pathway without prehospital discharge and $4.60 million for the pathway with prehospital discharge (incorporating virtual ED costs). In the decision tree model, total annual cost using prehospital point-of-care troponin and paramedic risk stratification was lower compared with existing care both without prehospital discharge (cost savings, $6.45 million; 95% uncertainty interval [UI], $0.59-$16.52 million; lower in 94.1% of iterations) and with prehospital discharge (cost savings, $42.84 million; 95% UI, $19.35-$72.26 million; lower in 100% of iterations). Conclusions and Relevance: Prehospital point-of-care troponin and paramedic risk stratification for patients with acute chest pain could result in substantial cost savings. These findings should be considered by policy makers in decisions surrounding the potential utility of prehospital chest pain risk stratification and point-of-care troponin models provided that safety is confirmed in prospective studies.

No fear: Willingness of smartphone activated first responders to assist with cardiac arrest during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Aim: To understand the fear and willingness to respond of smartphone activated first responders during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: We invited smartphone activated first responders registered with the GoodSAM application in Victoria, Australia to take part in an online survey in November 2020. We assessed willingness to respond to an alert and provide CPR during the pandemic and administered the Fear of COVID-19 Scale questionnaire. Regression analysis was conducted to investigate associations between occupation, clinical training, and years of clinical experience with willingness to respond and fear of COVID-19. Results: The survey response rate was 5.1%. Responders (n = 348) had a median age (interquartile range) of 46 years (33-55). Most (67%) were aged 30-59 years and 43% were female. Responders spanned several occupations including paramedics (12.6%), registered nurses (14.7%), and non-clinical individuals (21.8%). Most (92%) reported they would feel comfortable responding to a GoodSAM alert during the pandemic. Almost all (>95%) reported they would provide CPR. About 20% reported being afraid of COVID-19 but only 3.2% reported they had a high-level of fear of COVID-19. The odds of paramedics being willing to respond to an alert was reduced by 73% during the pandemic (OR 0.27, 95% CI 0.11 to 0.69). No other associations were found with willingness or fear of COVID-19. Conclusion: Although willingness was high and fear of COVID-19 was low, some smartphone activated first responders were less willing to respond to an alert during the pandemic. These findings may inform future pandemic planning and decision-making around pausing first-responder programs.

Sex-specific time trends in incident atrial fibrillation and the contribution of risk factors: the Tromsø Study 1994-2016.

AIMS: To explore sex-specific time trends in atrial fibrillation (AF) incidence and to estimate the impact of changes in risk factor levels using individual participant-level data from the population-based Tromsø Study 1994-2016. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 14 818 women and 13 225 men aged 25 years or older without AF were enrolled in the Tromsø Study between 1994 and 2008 and followed up for incident AF throughout 2016. Poisson regression was used for statistical analyses. During follow-up, age-adjusted AF incidence rates in women decreased from 1.19 to 0.71 per 1000 person-years. In men, AF incidence increased from 1.18 to 2.82 per 1000 person-years in 2004, and then declined to 1.94 per 1000 person-years in 2016. Changes in systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), body mass index (BMI), physical activity, smoking and alcohol consumption together accounted for 10.9% [95% confidence interval (CI): -2.4 to 28.6] of the AF incidence decline in women and for 44.7% (95% CI: 19.2; 100.0) of the AF incidence increase in men. Reduction in SBP and DBP had the largest contribution to the decrease in AF incidence in women. Increase in BMI had the largest contribution to the increase in AF incidence in men. CONCLUSION: In the population-based Tromsø Study 1994-2016, AF incidence decreased in women and increased following a reverse U-shape in men. Individual changes in SBP and DBP in women and individual changes in BMI in men were the most important risk factors contributing to the AF incidence trends.

Inconsistent discharge diagnoses for young cardiac arrest episodes: insights from a statewide registry.

BACKGROUND: Administrative coding of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is heterogeneous, with the prevalence of noninformative diagnoses uncertain. AIM: To characterize the prevalence and type of non-informative diagnoses in a young cardiac arrest population. METHODS: Hospital discharge diagnoses provided to a statewide OHCA registry were characterised as either 'informative' or 'noninformative.' Informative diagnoses stated an OHCA had occurred or defined OHCA as occurring due to coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathy, channelopathy, definite noncardiac cause, or no known cause. Noninformative diagnoses were blank, stated presenting cardiac rhythm only, provided irrelevant information or presented a complication of the OHCA as the main diagnosis. Characteristics of patients receiving informative versus noninformative diagnoses were compared. RESULTS: Of 1479 patients with OHCA aged 1 to 50 years, 290 patients were admitted to 15 hospitals. Ninety diagnoses (31.0%) were noninformative (arrest rhythm = 50, blank = 21, complication = 10 and irrelevant = 9). Two hundred diagnoses (69.0%) were informative (cardiac arrest = 84, coronary artery disease = 54, noncardiac diagnosis = 48, cardiomyopathy = 8, arrhythmia disorder = 4 and unascertained = 2). Only 10 diagnoses (3.5%) included both OHCA and an underlying cause. Patients receiving a noninformative diagnosis were more likely to have survived OHCA or been referred for forensic assessment (P = 0.011) and had longer median length of stay (9 vs 5 days, P = 0.0019). CONCLUSION: Almost one third of diagnoses for young patients discharged after an OHCA included neither OHCA nor any underlying cause. Underestimating the burden of OHCA impacts ongoing patient and at-risk family care, data sampling strategies, international statistics and research funding.

Long term all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality among women who undergo fertility treatment.

OBJECTIVES: To compare age-adjusted all-cause and CVD mortality, relative to the general female population, for women registered for fertility treatment who received it and those who did not. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study; analysis of Monash IVF clinical registries data, 1975-2018, linked with National Death Index mortality data. PARTICIPANTS: All women who registered for fertility treatment at Monash IVF (Melbourne, Victoria), 1 January 1975 - 1 January 2014, followed until 31 December 2018. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Standardised mortality ratios (SMRs) for all-cause and CVD mortality, for women who did or did not undergo fertility treatment; SMRs stratified by area-level socio-economic disadvantage (SEIFA Index of Relative Socioeconomic Disadvantage [IRSD]) and (for women who underwent treatment), by stimulated cycle number and mean oocytes/cycle categories. RESULTS: Of 44 149 women registered for fertility treatment, 33 520 underwent treatment (66.4%), 10 629 did not. After adjustment for age, both all-cause (SMR, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.54-0.62) and CVD mortality (SMR, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.32-0.53) were lower than for the general female population. All-cause mortality was similar for women registered with Monash IVF who did (SMR, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.50-0.60) or did not undergo fertility treatment (SMR, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.56-0.70). The SMR was lowest for both treated and untreated women in the fifth IRSD quintile (least disadvantage), but the difference was statistically significant only for untreated women. CVD mortality was lower for registered women who underwent fertility treatment (SMR, 0.29; 95% CI, 0.19-0.43) than for those who did not (SMR, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.42-0.81). CONCLUSION: Fertility treatment does not increase long term all-cause or CVD mortality risk. Lower mortality among women registered for fertility treatment probably reflected their lower socio-economic disadvantage.

Factors predicting cardiac arrest in acute coronary syndrome patients under 50: A state-wide angiographic and forensic evaluation of outcomes.

BACKGROUND: An uncertain proportion of patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) also experience out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Predictors of OHCA in ACS remain unclear and vulnerable to selection bias as pre-hospital deceased patients are usually not included. METHODS: Data on patients aged 18-50 years from a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and OHCA registry were combined to identify all patients experiencing OHCA due to ACS (not including those managed medically or who proceeded to cardiac surgery). Clinical, angiographic and forensic details were collated. In-hospital and post-discharge outcomes were compared between OHCA survivors and non-OHCA ACS patients. RESULTS: OHCA occurred in 6.0% of ACS patients transported to hospital and 10.0% of all ACS patients. Clinical predictors were non-diabetic status (p = 0.015), non-obesity (p = 0.004), ST-elevation myocardial infarction (p < 0.0001) and left main (p < 0.0002) or left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery (p < 0.0001) as culprit vessel. OHCA patients had poorer in-hospital clinical outcomes, including longer length of stay and higher pre-procedural intubation, cardiogenic shock, major adverse cardiovascular events, bleeding, and mortality (p < 0.0001 for all). At 30 days, OHCA survivors had equivalent cardiac function and return to premorbid independence but higher rates of anxiety/depression (p = 0.029). CONCLUSION: OHCA complicates approximately 10% of ACS in the young. Predictors of OHCA are being non-diabetic, non-obese, having a STEMI presentation, and left main or LAD coronary culprit lesion. For OHCA patients surviving to PCI, higher rates of in-hospital complications are observed. Despite this, recovery of pre-morbid physical and cardiac function is equivalent to non-OHCA patients, apart from higher rates of anxiety/depression.

Prevalence of Coronary Artery Anomalies in Young and Middle-Aged Sudden Cardiac Death Victims (from a Prospective State-Wide Registry).

Coronary artery anomalies (CAAs) have been previously implicated as a major cause of young sudden cardiac death (SCD), particularly in exercise-related SCD, with a prevalence of up to 33%. A state-wide prospective out-of-hospital cardiac arrest registry identified all patients aged 1 to 50 years who experienced an SCD and underwent autopsy from April 2019 to April 2021. Rates of normal anatomy, normal variants, and CAAs were identified, and circumstances and causes of death for patients with CAAs examined. Of 1,477 patients who experienced cardiac arrest during the study period, 490 underwent autopsy and were confirmed to have experienced SCD. Of these 490 patients, 5 (1%) had a CAA identified, with 3 having anomalies of coronary origin and 2 having anomalies of coronary course. In no cases were the CAA deemed responsible for the SCD. In 2 cases, severe coronary disease and intra-coronary thrombus with histological evidence of acute myocardial infarction were identified. In the third, critical coronary disease was found, the fourth had an unrelated thoracic aortic dissection, and the fifth had cardiomegaly in the setting of illicit drug use. Of 27 patients who experienced their SCD during exercise, only 1 had a CAA identified (the patient with thoracic aortic dissection). In conclusion, in this prospective cohort of consecutive young patients with SCD who underwent autopsy, CAAs occurred in 1% of patients and did not cause any deaths. The role of CAAs in causing young and middle-aged SCD appears to be less significant than previously hypothesized.