TY - JOUR
T1 - The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on ED referrals and care for stroke patients
T2 - A four-year comparative study
AU - Saban, Mor
AU - Reznik, Anna
AU - Shachar, Tal
AU - Wilf-Miron, Rachel
AU - Sivan-Hoffmann, Rotem
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Elsevier Inc.
PY - 2021/4/1
Y1 - 2021/4/1
N2 - Purpose: To examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the presentation and care provided to patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) at the emergency department (ED). Method: A retrospective-archive study was conducted between January-April 2020, compared with the parallel months in 2017–2019, in a comprehensive stroke center. We compared the time from symptoms onset to ED arrival, the number of neurologic consultations completed in the ED, patients diagnosed with AIS, patients receiving acute treatment and hospital mortality. Results: During January-April 2020, we found an increase in the proportion of stroke patients arriving at the ED within 6 h of symptom onset: 68–100% per month during the study period, compared with 28–42% per month in the previous years. The number of patients admitted to the ED with suspected AIS declined by 41%, compared to the parallel period in 2019. An increase was noted in the number of patients diagnosed with AIS who underwent treatment, with the number of s endovascular thrombectomy increasing throughout the examined year. Conclusion: During the COVID-19 pandemic, we observed a significant decline in the number of AIS patients admitted to the ED. Paradoxically, we have seen an increase in the proportion of patients who arrived shortly after the onset of symptoms and received timely treatment. Future studies might investigate the medical mechanism and ramifications of this phenomenon.
AB - Purpose: To examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the presentation and care provided to patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) at the emergency department (ED). Method: A retrospective-archive study was conducted between January-April 2020, compared with the parallel months in 2017–2019, in a comprehensive stroke center. We compared the time from symptoms onset to ED arrival, the number of neurologic consultations completed in the ED, patients diagnosed with AIS, patients receiving acute treatment and hospital mortality. Results: During January-April 2020, we found an increase in the proportion of stroke patients arriving at the ED within 6 h of symptom onset: 68–100% per month during the study period, compared with 28–42% per month in the previous years. The number of patients admitted to the ED with suspected AIS declined by 41%, compared to the parallel period in 2019. An increase was noted in the number of patients diagnosed with AIS who underwent treatment, with the number of s endovascular thrombectomy increasing throughout the examined year. Conclusion: During the COVID-19 pandemic, we observed a significant decline in the number of AIS patients admitted to the ED. Paradoxically, we have seen an increase in the proportion of patients who arrived shortly after the onset of symptoms and received timely treatment. Future studies might investigate the medical mechanism and ramifications of this phenomenon.
KW - Acute ischemic stroke
KW - COVID-19
KW - Critical care
KW - Emergency department
KW - In-hospital mortality
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85099298504&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jcrc.2020.12.011
DO - 10.1016/j.jcrc.2020.12.011
M3 - Article
C2 - 33453680
AN - SCOPUS:85099298504
SN - 0883-9441
VL - 62
SP - 230
EP - 234
JO - Journal of Critical Care
JF - Journal of Critical Care
ER -
