Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Stroke Admissions in Qatar

Overview

Journal BMJ Neurol Open

Specialty Neurology

Date 2021 Mar 5

PMID 33665617

Citations 6

Authors

Naveed Akhtar

Salman Al Jerdi

Ziyad Mahfoud

Yahia Imam

Saadat Kamran

Maher Saqqur

Deborah Morgan

Sujatha Joseph

Khurshid Khan

Ashfaq Shuaib

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a dramatic unexplained decline in hospital admissions due to acute coronary syndromes and stroke. Several theories have emerged aiming to explain this decline, mostly revolving around the fear of contracting the disease and thus avoiding hospital visits.

Aims: In this study, we aim to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on stroke admissions to a tertiary care centre in Qatar.

Methods: The Hamad General Hospital stroke database was interrogated for stroke admissions between September 2019 and May 2020. The number of stroke admissions, stroke subtypes and short-term outcomes was compared between the 'pre-COVID-19' period (September 2019 to February 2020) and the COVID-19 pandemic period (March to May 2020).

Results: We observed a significant decline in monthly admissions in March (157), April (128) and May (135) compared with the pre-COVID-19 6-month average (229) (p=0.024). The reduction in admissions was most evident in functional stroke mimics. The average admissions decreased from 87 to 34 per month (p=0.0001). Although there were no significant differences in admissions due to ischaemic stroke (IS), intracranial haemorrhage or transient ischaemic attacks between the two periods, we noted a relative decrease in IS due to small vessel disease and an increase in those due to large vessel atherosclerosis in March to May 2020.

Conclusions: The decline in overall stroke admissions during the COVID-19 pandemic is most likely related to concerns of contracting the infection, evidenced mainly by a decline in admissions of stroke mimics. However, a relative increase in large vessel occlusions raises suspicion of pathophysiological effects of the virus, and requires further investigation.

Citing Articles

Changes in stroke and TIA admissions during the COVID-19 pandemic: A meta-analysis.

Gunnarsson K, Tofiq A, Mathew A, Cao Y, von Euler M, Strom J Eur Stroke J. 2023; 9(1):78-87.

PMID: 37776062 PMC: 10916820. DOI: 10.1177/23969873231204127.

Ischemic stroke in patients that recover from COVID-19: Comparisons to historical stroke prior to COVID-19 or stroke in patients with active COVID-19 infection.

Akhtar N, Abid F, Singh R, Kamran S, Imam Y, Al-Jerdi S PLoS One. 2022; 17(6):e0270413.

PMID: 35749524 PMC: 9232148. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0270413.

Trends in stroke admissions before, during and post-peak of the COVID-19 pandemic: A one-year experience from the Qatar stroke database.

Akhtar N, Kamran S, Al-Jerdi S, Imam Y, Joseph S, Morgan D PLoS One. 2022; 17(3):e0255185.

PMID: 35324905 PMC: 8947388. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0255185.

Characteristics and comparisons of acute stroke in "recovered" to "active COVID-19 and "pre-pandemic" in Qatar database.

Akhtar N, Abid F, Singh R, Kamran S, Imam Y, Al Jerdi S J Thromb Thrombolysis. 2022; 53(4):824-828.

PMID: 35244832 PMC: 8894126. DOI: 10.1007/s11239-021-02581-6.

Trends in Stroke Presentations before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Meta-Analysis.

Ishaque N, Butt A, Kamtchum-Tatuene J, Nomani A, Razzaq S, Fatima N J Stroke. 2022; 24(1):65-78.

PMID: 35135061 PMC: 8829489. DOI: 10.5853/jos.2021.01571.

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