Abstract 15043: Assessment of Cardiovascular Events Among Symptomatic Outpatients With Suspected Coronary Artery Disease Who Presented During COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Background: Infection mitigation efforts during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic highlights a need to optimize evaluation of symptomatic outpatients (pts) with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD). Successful paradigms must have a low incidence of major adverse cardiovascular (CV) events (MACE) and be efficient and scalable across a large population. We describe a strategy implemented during peak interruption of usual clinical services across an integrated healthcare system looking at short-term clinical outcomes. Methods: We evaluated consecutive pts presenting to emergency departments (ED) from March to April 2020 within Intermountain Healthcare. Symptomatic pts were risk stratified using the HEART Score (HS). Those with HS of ≤3 were discharged to “active surveillance”comprised of weekly telephone calls to assess for symptom progression, prompting urgent stress testing. All pts with a HS of ≥4 received cardiac stress PET/SPECT imaging. Physician interpretation guided subsequent pt management. Short-term (minimum 30-day follow-up) clinical outcomes were incident MACE (all-cause mortality, acute MI, stroke, and return ED visits for suspected angina). Results: Those with a HS ≥4 (n=212) had an increased burden of CV risk factors compared to HS ≤3 (n=90) (Table 1). Three of the HS ≤3 group had progressive symptoms leading to urgent stress testing (resulting in low-risk findings and no intervention) and one had a MACE event (NSTE-ACS 10 days post index ED visit). In the HS ≥4 group, 123 tests were read as intermediate or high-risk, of which 59 proceeded to coronary angiography and 43 resulted in revascularization. Two pts with HS ≥4 died from complications related to preexisting heart failure. No additional MACE events occurred in the HS ≥4 group. Conclusion: Among symptomatic pts with suspected CAD who presented for ED evaluation during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, the HS combined with active clinical surveillance appears to be a safe and effective management strategy.