COVID-19 pandemic and STEMI: pathway activation and outcomes from the pan-London heart attack group

Objectives To understand the impact of COVID-19 on delivery and outcomes of primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI). Furthermore, to compare clinical presentation and outcomes of patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) with active COVID-19 against those without COVID-19.Methods We systematically analysed 348 STEMI cases presenting to the PPCI programme in London during the peak of the pandemic (1 March to 30 April 2020) and compared with 440 cases from the same period in 2019. Outcomes of interest included ambulance response times, timeliness of revascularisation, angiographic and procedural characteristics, and in-hospital clinical outcomesResults There was a 21% reduction in STEMI admissions and longer ambulance response times (87 (62–118) min in 2020 vs 75 (57–95) min in 2019, p