Influence of COVID-19 Pandemic on Cardiac Services in Bahrain: Building Cardiovascular Protocol for Future Pandemics.

Background: There are different protocols initiated to maintain the workflow in cardiovascular units around the world. Variable responses were seen in different populations. We adapted certain protocols during coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic because we want to know the key element that maintains an acceptable standard of cardiovascular care during future pandemics. Methods: Four hundred and fifty-four cardiac patients were admitted during COVID-19 era. Patients from March to July 2020 were included in this study. Those patients were divided into two periods: strict-COVID-19 from March 19, 2020, to May 18, 2020 (132 patients) and mid-COVID-19 from May 19, 2020, to July 18, 2020 (322 patients). These were compared to admissions at the pre-COVID-19 era from January 19, 2020, to March 18, 2020 (600 patients). All patients' data were collected through the quality department from the electronic medical records. Results: Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the admission number and ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) cases were dramatically reduced during the strict-COVID-19 time yet recovered back in the mid-COVID-19 period. The admission rate was reduced from 600 to 132, while the STEMI cases dropped from 91 in pre-COVID-19 to 41 in strict-COVID-19 and then back to 81 cases in mid-COVID 19 period (P > 0.05/P = 0.02 between pre and mid-COVID-19 periods). Conclusion: Our cardiac center continues to serve our population without a complete lockdown period due to multiple key elements adapted during this pandemic. The flexibility in the protocols of managing acute cardiac cases has maintained the mortality rate stable through all COVID-19 periods and return to working efficiently to near-normal levels.