Data on Cardiac Catheterization during the COVID Pandemic-Year 2020 in Relation to Year 2019 (Austrian ANCALAR-Registry)

Using methods on cardiac catheterization from ANCALAR we compared data from year 2020 to data from 2019 and previous years by conducting a late breaking survey. 12 centres voluntarily provided data for comparative analyses. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 cardiac catheterization procedures decreased markedly and for the first time. The rate of diagnostic coronary angiographic procedures (CAG) declined by -8.2 % (p < 0.001), total acute plus non-acute PCI by -10.0 % (p < 0.001), interventions for acute PCI declined by -12.5 % (p < 0.001) and STEMI-PCI declined by -2.0 % (p = 0.6). Data scattering concerning urban or rural areas, concerning private or public institutions was present but not causative. Moreover left ventricular angiography, right heart catheterization, myocardial biopsies, PCI for chronic total occlusions (CTO), clot catcher, and rotablator procedures, as well as electrophysiologic dia-gnostics und therapies (ablations) decreased. On the other hand percutaneous aortic valve implantation (TAVI), Mitral-Clipping and defect closures within CathLabs increased in 2020. It is possible that patients suffering from acute or subacute symptoms presented less frequently in tertiary centres or that pandemic-related delays for elective procedures have led to later presentations as acute coronary syndromes. This trend of mostly declining cardiac procedures in catheterization laboratories for the whole year was not expected and studies on details and on future clinical impact are warranted.