%0 Journal Article
%T Effect of COVID-19 Pandemic on Acute Coronary Syndrome Clinical Practice Patterns: Findings from a Multicenter Clinician Survey in China.
%A Hu F
%A Zang M
%A Zheng L
%A Chen W
%A Guo J
%A Du Z
%A Liang E
%A Shen L
%A Hu X
%A Zheng D
%A Xu X
%A Hu G
%A Li A
%A Huang J
%A Yao Y
%A Pu J
%J Rev Cardiovasc Med
%V 23
%N 11
%D 2022 Nov
%M 39076199
%F 4.43
%R 10.31083/j.rcm2311362
%X <B>UNASSIGNED: </B>The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has severely affected healthcare systems around the world. This study aimed to investigate the perceptions of cardiologists regarding how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the clinical practice patterns for acute coronary syndrome (ACS).<BR><B>UNASSIGNED: </B>A multicenter clinician survey was sent to 300 cardiologists working in 22 provinces in China. The survey collected demographic information and inquired about their perceptions of how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected ACS clinical practice patterns.<BR><B>UNASSIGNED: </B>The survey was completed by 211 (70.3%) cardiologists, 82.5% of whom were employed in tertiary hospitals, and 52.1% reported more than 10 years of clinical cardiology practice. Most respondents observed a reduction in ACS inpatients and outpatients in their hospitals during the pandemic. Only 29.9% of the respondents had access to a dedicated catheter room for the treatment of COVID-19-positive ACS patients. Most respondents stated that the COVID-19 pandemic had varying degrees of effect on the treatment of acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), acute non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI), and unstable angina. Compared with the assumed non-pandemic period, in the designed clinical questions, the selection of coronary interventional therapy for STEMI, NSTEMI, and unstable angina during the COVID-19 pandemic was significantly decreased (all p < 0.05), and the selection of pharmacotherapy was increased (all p < 0.05). The selection of fibrinolytic therapy for STEMI during the pandemic was higher than in the assumed non-pandemic period (p < 0.05).<BR><B>UNASSIGNED: </B>The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly affected ACS clinical practice patterns. The use of invasive therapies significantly decreased during the pandemic period, whereas pharmacotherapy was more often prescribed by the cardiologists.