TY - JOUR
T1 - The decline in stroke hospitalization due to COVID-19 is unrelated to COVID-19 intensity
AU - Sedova, Petra
AU - Kent, Julia Anna
AU - Bryndziar, Tomas
AU - Jarkovsky, Jiri
AU - Tomek, Ales
AU - Sramek, Martin
AU - Skoda, Ondrej
AU - Sramkova, Tereza
AU - Pokorová, Kateřina
AU - Littnerova, Simona
AU - Brown, Robert D.
AU - Mikulik, Robert
N1 - Funding Information:
Petra Sedova and Robert Mikulik were supported by the COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology) Association, project no. CA18118, IRENE COST Action–Implementation Research Network in Stroke Care Quality and by the project no. LQ1605 from the National Program of Sustainability II and by the IRIS‐TEPUS Project No. LTC20051 from the INTER‐EXCELLENCE INTER‐COST program of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic. Petra Sedova was supported by Ministry of Health, Czech Republic ‐ conceptual development of research organization (FNBr, 65269705).
Funding Information:
Petra Sedova and Robert Mikulik were supported by the COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology) Association, project no. CA18118, IRENE COST Action–Implementation Research Network in Stroke Care Quality and by the project no. LQ1605 from the National Program of Sustainability II and by the IRIS-TEPUS Project No. LTC20051 from the INTER-EXCELLENCE INTER-COST program of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic. Petra Sedova was supported by Ministry of Health, Czech Republic - conceptual development of research organization (FNBr, 65269705).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 The Authors. European Journal of Neurology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of European Academy of Neurology.
PY - 2023/4
Y1 - 2023/4
N2 - Background and Purpose: During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic many countries reported a decline in stroke volumes. The aim of this study was to analyze if the decline was related to the intensity of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: The first pandemic year (1 March 2020 to 28 February 2021) overall and during the three COVID-19 waves were compared with the preceding year. Volumes of acute ischaemic stroke (AIS), subarachnoid hemorrhage, intracerebral hemorrhage and recanalization treatments (intravenous thrombolysis [IVT] and mechanical thrombectomy [MT]) were obtained from the National Register of Reimbursed Health Services. Door-to-needle time, onset-to-door time and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale at admission were obtained from the Registry of Stroke Care Quality. Results: During the pandemic year compared to the preceding year there were 26,453 versus 28,771 stroke admissions, representing an 8.8% decline (p < 0.001). The declines (−10%, −11%, −19%) appeared in COVID-19 waves (spring 2020, autumn 2020, winter 2021) except for an increase (2%) during summer 2020. Admissions for AIS declined by 10.2% (p < 0.001), whilst hemorrhagic stroke volumes were minimally decreased. The absolute volumes of IVT and MT decreased by 9.4% (p < 0.001) and 5.7% (p = 0.16), respectively. However, the proportions of ischaemic stroke patients receiving IVT (18% vs. 18%; p = 0.72) and MT (6% vs. 6%; p = 0.28) remained unchanged. Conclusions: There was a decline in stroke admissions, but such decline was not related to COVID-19 incidence. The frequency of use of recanalization procedures (IVT, MT) and times (onset-to-door time, door-to-needle time) in AIS were preserved in the Czech Republic during the first year of the pandemic.
AB - Background and Purpose: During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic many countries reported a decline in stroke volumes. The aim of this study was to analyze if the decline was related to the intensity of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: The first pandemic year (1 March 2020 to 28 February 2021) overall and during the three COVID-19 waves were compared with the preceding year. Volumes of acute ischaemic stroke (AIS), subarachnoid hemorrhage, intracerebral hemorrhage and recanalization treatments (intravenous thrombolysis [IVT] and mechanical thrombectomy [MT]) were obtained from the National Register of Reimbursed Health Services. Door-to-needle time, onset-to-door time and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale at admission were obtained from the Registry of Stroke Care Quality. Results: During the pandemic year compared to the preceding year there were 26,453 versus 28,771 stroke admissions, representing an 8.8% decline (p < 0.001). The declines (−10%, −11%, −19%) appeared in COVID-19 waves (spring 2020, autumn 2020, winter 2021) except for an increase (2%) during summer 2020. Admissions for AIS declined by 10.2% (p < 0.001), whilst hemorrhagic stroke volumes were minimally decreased. The absolute volumes of IVT and MT decreased by 9.4% (p < 0.001) and 5.7% (p = 0.16), respectively. However, the proportions of ischaemic stroke patients receiving IVT (18% vs. 18%; p = 0.72) and MT (6% vs. 6%; p = 0.28) remained unchanged. Conclusions: There was a decline in stroke admissions, but such decline was not related to COVID-19 incidence. The frequency of use of recanalization procedures (IVT, MT) and times (onset-to-door time, door-to-needle time) in AIS were preserved in the Czech Republic during the first year of the pandemic.
KW - COVID-19
KW - Czech Republic
KW - intravenous thrombolysis
KW - mechanical thrombectomy
KW - stroke
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U2 - 10.1111/ene.15664
DO - 10.1111/ene.15664
M3 - Article
C2 - 36511840
AN - SCOPUS:85145294236
SN - 1351-5101
VL - 30
SP - 943
EP - 950
JO - European Journal of Neurology
JF - European Journal of Neurology
IS - 4
ER -