Background: The subsequent waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy had a major impact on cardiac care. Methods: A survey to evaluate the dynamic changes in arrhythmia care during the first five waves of COVID-19 in Italy (first: March–May 2020; second: October 2020–January 2021; third: February–May 2021; fourth: June–October 2021; fifth: November 2021–February 2022) was launched. Results: A total of 127 physicians from arrhythmia centers (34% of Italian centers) took part in the survey. As compared to 2019, a reduction in 40% of elective pacemaker (PM), defibrillators (ICD), and cardiac resynchronization devices (CRT) implantations, with a 70% reduction for ablations, was reported during the first wave, with a progressive and gradual return to pre-pandemic volumes, generally during the third–fourth waves, slower for ablations. For emergency procedures (PM, ICD, CRT, and ablations), recovery from the initial 10% decline occurred in most cases during the second wave, with some variability. However, acute care for atrial fibrillation, electrical cardioversions, and evaluations for syncope showed a prolonged reduction of activity. The number of patients with devices which started remote monitoring increased by 40% during the first wave, but then the adoption of remote monitoring declined. Conclusions: The dramatic and profound derangement in arrhythmia management that characterized the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic was followed by a progressive return to the volume of activities of the pre-pandemic periods, even if with different temporal dynamics and some heterogeneity. Remote monitoring was largely implemented during the first wave, but full implementation is needed.

Five waves of COVID-19 pandemic in Italy: results of a national survey evaluating the impact on activities related to arrhythmias, pacing, and electrophysiology promoted by AIAC (Italian Association of Arrhythmology and Cardiac Pacing) / Boriani, G.; Guerra, F.; De Ponti, R.; D'Onofrio, A.; Accogli, M.; Bertini, M.; Bisignani, G.; Forleo, G. B.; Landolina, M.; Lavalle, C.; Notarstefano, P.; Ricci, R. P.; Zanotto, G.; Palmisano, P.; Luise, R.; De Bonis, S.; Pangallo, A.; Talarico, A.; Maglia, G.; Aspromonte, V.; Nigro, G.; Bianchi, V.; Rapacciuolo, A.; Ammendola, E.; Solimene, F.; Stabile, G.; Biffi, M.; Ziacchi, M.; Malpighi, P. S. O.; Saporito, D.; Casali, E.; Turco, V.; Malavasi, V. L.; Vitolo, M.; Imberti, J. F.; Bertini, M.; Anna, A. S.; Zardini, M.; Placci, A.; Quartieri, F.; Bottoni, N.; Carinci, V.; Barbato, G.; De Maria, E.; Borghi, A.; Ramazzini, O. B.; Bronzetti, G.; Tomasi, C.; Boggian, G.; Virzi, S.; Sassone, B.; Corzani, A.; Sabbatani, P.; Pastori, P.; Ciccaglioni, A.; Adamo, F.; Scaccia, A.; Spampinato, A.; Patruno, N.; Biscione, F.; Cinti, C.; Pignalberi, C.; Calo, L.; Tancredi, M.; Di Belardino, N.; Ricciardi, D.; Cauti, F.; Rossi, P.; Cardinale, M.; Ansalone, G.; Narducci, M. L.; Pelargonio, G.; Silvetti, M.; Drago, F.; Santini, L.; Pentimalli, F.; Pepi, P.; Caravati, F.; Taravelli, E.; Belotti, G.; Rordorf, R.; Mazzone, P.; Bella, P. D.; Rossi, S.; Canevese, L. F.; Cilloni, S.; Doni, L. A.; Vergara, P.; Baroni, M.; Perna, E.; Gardini, A.; Negro, R.; Perego, G. B.; Curnis, A.; Arabia, G.; Russo, A. D.; Marchese, P.; Dell'Era, G.; Occhetta, E.; Pizzetti, F.; Amellone, C.; Giammaria, M.; Devecchi, C.; Coppolino, A.; Tommasi, S.; Anselmino, M.; Coluccia, G.; Guido, A.; Rillo, M.; Palama, Z.; Luzzi, G.; Pellegrino, P. L.; Grimaldi, M.; Grandinetti, G.; Vilei, E.; Potenza, D.; Scicchitano, P.; Favale, S.; Santobuono, V. E.; Sai, R.; Melissano, D.; Candida, T. R.; Bonfantino, V. M.; Di Canda, D.; Gianfrancesco, D.; Carretta, D.; Pisano, E. C. L.; Medico, A.; Giaccari, R.; Aste, R.; Murgia, C.; Nissardi, V.; Sanna, G. D.; Firetto, G.; Crea, P.; Ciotta, E.; Sgarito, G.; Caramanno, G.; Ciaramitaro, G.; Faraci, A.; Fasheri, A.; Di Gregorio, L.; Campsi, G.; Muscio, G.; Giannola, G.; Padeletti, M.; Del Rosso, A.; Notarstefano, P.; Nesti, M.; Miracapillo, G.; Giovannini, T.; Pieragnoli, P.; Rauhe, W.; Marini, M.; Guarracini, F.; Ridarelli, M.; Fedeli, F.; Mazza, A.; Zingarini, G.; Andreoli, C.; Carreras, G.; Zorzi, A.; Zanotto, G.; Rossillo, A.; Ignatuk, B.; Zerbo, F.; Molon, G.; Fantinel, M.; Zanon, F.; Marcantoni, L.; Zadro, M.; Bevilacqua, M.. - In: INTERNAL AND EMERGENCY MEDICINE. - ISSN 1828-0447. - 18:1(2023), pp. 137-149. [10.1007/s11739-022-03140-4]

Five waves of COVID-19 pandemic in Italy: results of a national survey evaluating the impact on activities related to arrhythmias, pacing, and electrophysiology promoted by AIAC (Italian Association of Arrhythmology and Cardiac Pacing)

De Bonis S.;Nigro G.;Rapacciuolo A.;Ammendola E.;Solimene F.;Stabile G.;Turco V.;Quartieri F.;Spampinato A.;Ricciardi D.;Cardinale M.;Drago F.;Pentimalli F.;Vergara P.;Tommasi S.;Anselmino M.;Guido A.;Muscio G.;Giovannini T.;Zingarini G.;Zorzi A.;
2023

Abstract

Background: The subsequent waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy had a major impact on cardiac care. Methods: A survey to evaluate the dynamic changes in arrhythmia care during the first five waves of COVID-19 in Italy (first: March–May 2020; second: October 2020–January 2021; third: February–May 2021; fourth: June–October 2021; fifth: November 2021–February 2022) was launched. Results: A total of 127 physicians from arrhythmia centers (34% of Italian centers) took part in the survey. As compared to 2019, a reduction in 40% of elective pacemaker (PM), defibrillators (ICD), and cardiac resynchronization devices (CRT) implantations, with a 70% reduction for ablations, was reported during the first wave, with a progressive and gradual return to pre-pandemic volumes, generally during the third–fourth waves, slower for ablations. For emergency procedures (PM, ICD, CRT, and ablations), recovery from the initial 10% decline occurred in most cases during the second wave, with some variability. However, acute care for atrial fibrillation, electrical cardioversions, and evaluations for syncope showed a prolonged reduction of activity. The number of patients with devices which started remote monitoring increased by 40% during the first wave, but then the adoption of remote monitoring declined. Conclusions: The dramatic and profound derangement in arrhythmia management that characterized the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic was followed by a progressive return to the volume of activities of the pre-pandemic periods, even if with different temporal dynamics and some heterogeneity. Remote monitoring was largely implemented during the first wave, but full implementation is needed.
2023
Five waves of COVID-19 pandemic in Italy: results of a national survey evaluating the impact on activities related to arrhythmias, pacing, and electrophysiology promoted by AIAC (Italian Association of Arrhythmology and Cardiac Pacing) / Boriani, G.; Guerra, F.; De Ponti, R.; D'Onofrio, A.; Accogli, M.; Bertini, M.; Bisignani, G.; Forleo, G. B.; Landolina, M.; Lavalle, C.; Notarstefano, P.; Ricci, R. P.; Zanotto, G.; Palmisano, P.; Luise, R.; De Bonis, S.; Pangallo, A.; Talarico, A.; Maglia, G.; Aspromonte, V.; Nigro, G.; Bianchi, V.; Rapacciuolo, A.; Ammendola, E.; Solimene, F.; Stabile, G.; Biffi, M.; Ziacchi, M.; Malpighi, P. S. O.; Saporito, D.; Casali, E.; Turco, V.; Malavasi, V. L.; Vitolo, M.; Imberti, J. F.; Bertini, M.; Anna, A. S.; Zardini, M.; Placci, A.; Quartieri, F.; Bottoni, N.; Carinci, V.; Barbato, G.; De Maria, E.; Borghi, A.; Ramazzini, O. B.; Bronzetti, G.; Tomasi, C.; Boggian, G.; Virzi, S.; Sassone, B.; Corzani, A.; Sabbatani, P.; Pastori, P.; Ciccaglioni, A.; Adamo, F.; Scaccia, A.; Spampinato, A.; Patruno, N.; Biscione, F.; Cinti, C.; Pignalberi, C.; Calo, L.; Tancredi, M.; Di Belardino, N.; Ricciardi, D.; Cauti, F.; Rossi, P.; Cardinale, M.; Ansalone, G.; Narducci, M. L.; Pelargonio, G.; Silvetti, M.; Drago, F.; Santini, L.; Pentimalli, F.; Pepi, P.; Caravati, F.; Taravelli, E.; Belotti, G.; Rordorf, R.; Mazzone, P.; Bella, P. D.; Rossi, S.; Canevese, L. F.; Cilloni, S.; Doni, L. A.; Vergara, P.; Baroni, M.; Perna, E.; Gardini, A.; Negro, R.; Perego, G. B.; Curnis, A.; Arabia, G.; Russo, A. D.; Marchese, P.; Dell'Era, G.; Occhetta, E.; Pizzetti, F.; Amellone, C.; Giammaria, M.; Devecchi, C.; Coppolino, A.; Tommasi, S.; Anselmino, M.; Coluccia, G.; Guido, A.; Rillo, M.; Palama, Z.; Luzzi, G.; Pellegrino, P. L.; Grimaldi, M.; Grandinetti, G.; Vilei, E.; Potenza, D.; Scicchitano, P.; Favale, S.; Santobuono, V. E.; Sai, R.; Melissano, D.; Candida, T. R.; Bonfantino, V. M.; Di Canda, D.; Gianfrancesco, D.; Carretta, D.; Pisano, E. C. L.; Medico, A.; Giaccari, R.; Aste, R.; Murgia, C.; Nissardi, V.; Sanna, G. D.; Firetto, G.; Crea, P.; Ciotta, E.; Sgarito, G.; Caramanno, G.; Ciaramitaro, G.; Faraci, A.; Fasheri, A.; Di Gregorio, L.; Campsi, G.; Muscio, G.; Giannola, G.; Padeletti, M.; Del Rosso, A.; Notarstefano, P.; Nesti, M.; Miracapillo, G.; Giovannini, T.; Pieragnoli, P.; Rauhe, W.; Marini, M.; Guarracini, F.; Ridarelli, M.; Fedeli, F.; Mazza, A.; Zingarini, G.; Andreoli, C.; Carreras, G.; Zorzi, A.; Zanotto, G.; Rossillo, A.; Ignatuk, B.; Zerbo, F.; Molon, G.; Fantinel, M.; Zanon, F.; Marcantoni, L.; Zadro, M.; Bevilacqua, M.. - In: INTERNAL AND EMERGENCY MEDICINE. - ISSN 1828-0447. - 18:1(2023), pp. 137-149. [10.1007/s11739-022-03140-4]
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11588/948603
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