Study Finds Stable Heart Attack Treatment Times During COVID-19 in Los Angeles County

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PASADENA, Calif. — November 26, 2023 — A new study co-authored by Dr. Robert A. Kloner, Chief Science Officer and Scientific Director of Cardiovascular Research at Huntington Medical Research Institutes (HMRI), shows that despite the severe strain placed on hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic, Los Angeles County’s regional cardiac care system maintained timely and effective treatment for patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) — the most serious form of heart attack.

Published in The American Journal of Cardiology (ScienceDirect), the paper — “Association of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Treatment Times for ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction: Observations From the Los Angeles County Regional System” — analyzed real-world data from the Los Angeles County Emergency Medical Services Agency to evaluate how the pandemic affected emergency heart attack care.

The study team — David M. Shavelle, Nichole Bosson, William J. French, Joseph L. Thomas, James T. Niemann, Marianne Gausche-Hill, Jeffrey Eric Rollman, Asim M. Rafique, Alexandra M. Klomhaus, and Robert A. Kloner— compared data from 3,017 patients undergoing emergent coronary angiography for STEMI before and during the pandemic.

Key findings include:

  • Treatment volumes decreased by 40% during the COVID-19 period, reflecting fewer hospital activations for STEMI.

  • Rates of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were slightly lower during the pandemic (75.1% vs. 78.7%; p=0.02).

  • Median “first medical contact to device” time — the benchmark for emergency heart attack care — was shorter during COVID-19 (77 minutes vs. 81 minutes; p=0.004).

  • Clinical outcomes, including vascular complications, bypass surgery rates, hospital stay, and in-hospital mortality, were similar across both periods.

“These findings underscore the resilience of Los Angeles County’s mature cardiac care system,” said Dr. Kloner. “Even under pandemic conditions, hospitals and emergency services were able to sustain efficient, high-quality STEMI care.”

The study provides reassurance that well-organized regional systems of care can preserve critical cardiovascular services during times of healthcare disruption.

Full article: The American Journal of Cardiology, November 2023