TY - JOUR
T1 - Sudden cardiac arrest during the COVID-19 pandemic
T2 - A two-year prospective evaluation in a North American community
AU - Chugh, Harpriya S.
AU - Sargsyan, Arayik
AU - Nakamura, Kotoka
AU - Uy-Evanado, Audrey
AU - Dizon, Bernadine
AU - Norby, Faye L.
AU - Young, Christopher
AU - Hadduck, Katy
AU - Jui, Jonathan
AU - Shepherd, Daniel
AU - Salvucci, Angelo
AU - Chugh, Sumeet S.
AU - Reinier, Kyndaron
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 Heart Rhythm Society
PY - 2023/7
Y1 - 2023/7
N2 - Background: Early during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, higher sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) incidence and lower survival rates were reported. However, ongoing effects on SCA during the evolving pandemic have not been evaluated. Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of COVID-19 on SCA during 2 years of the pandemic. Methods: In a prospective study of Ventura County, California (2020 population 843,843; 44.1% Hispanic), we compared SCA incidence and outcomes during the first 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic to the prior 4 years. Results: Of 2222 out-of-hospital SCA cases identified, 907 occurred during the pandemic (March 2020 to February 2022) and 1315 occurred prepandemic (March 2016 to February 2020). Overall age-standardized annual SCA incidence increased from 39 per 100,000 (95% confidence [CI] 37–41) prepandemic to 54 per 100,000 (95% CI 50–57; P <.001) during the pandemic. Among Hispanics, incidence increased by 77%, from 38 per 100,000 (95% CI 34–43) to 68 per 100,000 (95% CI 60–76; P <.001). Among non-Hispanics, incidence increased by 26%, from 39 per 100,000 (95% CI 37–42; P <.001) to 50 per 100,000 (95% CI 46–54). SCA incidence rates closely tracked COVID-19 infection rates. During the pandemic, SCA survival was significantly reduced (15% to 10%; P <.001), and Hispanics were less likely than non-Hispanics to receive bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (45% vs 55%; P = .005) and to present with shockable rhythm (15% vs 24%; P = .003). Conclusion: Overall SCA rates remained consistently higher and survival outcomes consistently lower, with exaggerated effects during COVID infection peaks. This longer evaluation uncovered higher increases in SCA incidence among Hispanics, with worse resuscitation profiles. Potential ethnicity-specific barriers to acute SCA care warrant urgent evaluation and intervention.
AB - Background: Early during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, higher sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) incidence and lower survival rates were reported. However, ongoing effects on SCA during the evolving pandemic have not been evaluated. Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of COVID-19 on SCA during 2 years of the pandemic. Methods: In a prospective study of Ventura County, California (2020 population 843,843; 44.1% Hispanic), we compared SCA incidence and outcomes during the first 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic to the prior 4 years. Results: Of 2222 out-of-hospital SCA cases identified, 907 occurred during the pandemic (March 2020 to February 2022) and 1315 occurred prepandemic (March 2016 to February 2020). Overall age-standardized annual SCA incidence increased from 39 per 100,000 (95% confidence [CI] 37–41) prepandemic to 54 per 100,000 (95% CI 50–57; P <.001) during the pandemic. Among Hispanics, incidence increased by 77%, from 38 per 100,000 (95% CI 34–43) to 68 per 100,000 (95% CI 60–76; P <.001). Among non-Hispanics, incidence increased by 26%, from 39 per 100,000 (95% CI 37–42; P <.001) to 50 per 100,000 (95% CI 46–54). SCA incidence rates closely tracked COVID-19 infection rates. During the pandemic, SCA survival was significantly reduced (15% to 10%; P <.001), and Hispanics were less likely than non-Hispanics to receive bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (45% vs 55%; P = .005) and to present with shockable rhythm (15% vs 24%; P = .003). Conclusion: Overall SCA rates remained consistently higher and survival outcomes consistently lower, with exaggerated effects during COVID infection peaks. This longer evaluation uncovered higher increases in SCA incidence among Hispanics, with worse resuscitation profiles. Potential ethnicity-specific barriers to acute SCA care warrant urgent evaluation and intervention.
KW - Bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation
KW - COVID-19
KW - Ethnicity
KW - Hispanic
KW - Pandemic
KW - Sudden cardiac arrest
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85152514606&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85152514606&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.hrthm.2023.03.025
DO - 10.1016/j.hrthm.2023.03.025
M3 - Article
C2 - 36965652
AN - SCOPUS:85152514606
SN - 1547-5271
VL - 20
SP - 947
EP - 955
JO - Heart Rhythm
JF - Heart Rhythm
IS - 7
ER -