Reduced Admissions for Cerebrovascular Events During COVID-19 Outbreak in Italy
Simona Sacco, Stefano Ricci, Raffaele Ornello, Paolo Eusebi, Luca Petraglia, Danilo Toni, Eugenia Rota, Gianluca Bruzzone, Lucia Testa, Roberta Bongioanni, Mara Rosso, Carmelo Labate, Roberto Tarletti, Roberto Cantello, Thomas Fleetwood, Fabio Melis, Daniele Imperiale, Salvatore Amarù, Monica Reggiani, Luigi Ruiz, Elia Cipriano, Delfina Ferrandi, Patrizia Julita, Liana Africa, Piero Meinieri, Maria Federica Grasso, Serena Servo, Roberto Cavallo, Gigliola Chianale, Andrea Naldi, Paolo Cerrato, Elisa Rubino, Alessia Giossi, Valentina Puglisi, Luisa Vinciguerra, Ignazio Santilli, Bianca Maria Bordo, Simona Marcheselli, Julia Bottini, Caterina Mariotto D’Alessandro, Giuseppe Micieli, Anna Cavallini, Isabella Canavero, Francesco Muscia, Graziamaria Nuzzaco, Alfonso Ciccone, Giorgio Silvestrelli, Andrea Salmaggi, Davide Sangalli, Carla Zanferrari, Simona Fanucchi, Michela Ranieri, Simone Beretta, Carlo Ferrarese, Francesco Pasini, Francesco Santangelo, Nicoletta Checcarelli, Sandro Beretta, Paola Bazzi, M. Camerlingo, Marcello Tognozzi, Giorgio Caneve, Alessandro Adami, R. Quatrale, Adriana Critelli, Luigi Bartolomei, Maela Masato, Francesco Perini, Antonella Boni, Caterina Disco, Claudio Baracchini, Alessio Pieroni, Roberto L’Erario, Monia Russo, Alberto Polo, Alessandra Danese, Luca Valentinis, Antonio Baldi, Simone Tonello, Francesco Paladin, Agnese Tonon, Bruno Bonetti, Manuel Cappellari, Francesco Teatini, Roberto Currò Dossi, Enrica Franchini, Bruno Giometto, Valeria Bignamini, Paolo Manganotti, Marcello Naccarato, Gian Luigi Gigli, Simone Lorenzut, Giovanni Merlino, Mariarosaria Valente, Michele Rana, Carolina Gentile, Tiziana Tassinari, Annalisa Sugo, Valentina Saia, Maurizio Balestrino
Abstract
Background and Purpose: We aimed to investigate the rate of hospital admissions for cerebrovascular events and of revascularization treatments for acute ischemic stroke in Italy during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak. Methods: The Italian Stroke Organization performed a multicenter study involving 93 Italian Stroke Units. We collected information on hospital admissions for cerebrovascular events from March 1 to March 31, 2020 (study period), and from March 1 to March 31, 2019 (control period). Results: Ischemic strokes decreased from 2399 in 2019 to 1810 in 2020, with a corresponding hospitalization rate ratio (RR) of 0.75 ([95% CI, 0.71–0.80] P <0.001); intracerebral hemorrhages decreased from 400 to 322 (hospitalization RR, 0.81 [95% CI, 0.69–0.93]; P =0.004), and transient ischemic attacks decreased from 322 to 196 (hospitalization RR, 0.61 [95% CI, 0.51–0.73]; P <0.001). Hospitalizations decreased in Northern, Central, and Southern Italy. Intravenous thrombolyses decreased from 531 (22.1%) in 2019 to 345 in 2020 (19.1%; RR, 0.86 [95% CI, 0.75–0.99]; P =0.032), while primary endovascular procedures increased in Northern Italy (RR, 1.61 [95% CI, 1.13–2.32]; P =0.008). We found no correlation ( P =0.517) between the hospitalization RRs for all strokes or transient ischemic attack and COVID-19 incidence in the different areas. Conclusions: Hospitalizations for stroke or transient ischemic attacks across Italy were reduced during the worst period of the COVID-19 outbreak. Intravenous thrombolytic treatments also decreased, while endovascular treatments remained unchanged and even increased in the area of maximum expression of the outbreak. Limited hospitalization of the less severe patients and delays in hospital admission, due to overcharge of the emergency system by COVID-19 patients, may explain these data.