Investigation of the Increase in Cerebrovascular Disease and ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction Cases Before and During the Pandemic

Year 2025, Volume: 7 Issue: 2, 469 - 475, 09.05.2025

Aysun Türker , Canan Şahin

https://doi.org/10.37990/medr.1659469

Abstract

Aim: In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) on the incidences of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).
Material and Method: Patients admitted to the emergency department during the pandemic and pre-pandemic periods and diagnosed with AIS and/or STEMI. Demographic variables, comorbidities, diagnoses and mortality rates were compared between the two periods.
Results: The mean age of the patients was 71.8±13 years and 48.3% were male. The number of 255 ischemic patients (STEMI and/or AIS) admitted in the pre-pandemic period decreased to 165 during the pandemic period (p<0.05). During the pandemic period, there was a 38.2% decrease in the AIS group and a 29.1% decrease in the STEMI group. While the frequency of chronic renal failure and hyperlipidemia was found to be high in patients with AIS admitted during the pandemic period (p<0.05), there was no difference in terms of comorbidities in patients with STEMI (p>0.05). When the pre-pandemic and post-pandemic periods were compared, mortality was higher in the group with STEMI (p<0.05). In the STEMI group, the frequency of HL was higher in COVID-19 positive patients compared to COVID-19 negative patients (p<0.05).
Conclusion: Compared to the pre-pandemic period, the number of patients admitted due to AIS and STEMI decreased and mortality rates increased during the pandemic period.

Keywords

COVID-19 , ischemic stroke , ST elevation myocardial infarction

Ethical Statement

It was performed retrospectively with the approval of the local ethics committee dated 20/06/2023 and numbered 2023-12/84 obtained from Kırşehir Ahi Evran University Faculty of Medicine Training and Research Hospital.

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