COVID-19 linked to increased cases of cardiac arrests: Study

USA: A recent study has found a dramatic increase in out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCAs) in early 2020 paralleling the local prevalence of COVID-19. Most of these patients were declared dead without being tested for COVID-19. 

The findings of the study, published in Lancet's EClinicalMedicine, suggest a strong association between SARS-CoV-2 infection and OHCA. 

"This study further indicates that there was a direct association between the local prevalence COVID-19 and the frequency of OHCA," wrote the authors.

Major metropolitan cities have reported profound and unprecedented but variable increase in OHCA in early 2020. The study by Paul E. Pepe, Metropolitan EMS Medical Directors Global Alliance, Dallas, TX, USA, and colleagues examined the relative magnitude of those increases and their relationship to COVID-19 prevalence.

For this purpose, the researchers obtained aggregate, de-identified, pre-existing monthly tallies of OHCA among adults (age >18 years) occurring between January and June 2020 within their respective jurisdictions from MS (9-1-1 system) medical directors for 50 of the largest U.S. cities. Identical comparison data were also provided for corresponding time periods in 2018 and 2019. Equivalent data were obtained from the largest cities in Italy, United Kingdom and France, as well as Perth, Australia and Auckland, New Zealand.