Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on myocardial perfusion imaging for ischemic heart disease
- 11 August 2020
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Springer Science and Business Media LLC in European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
- Vol. 48 (2), 421-427
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-020-04994-6
Abstract
Purpose We assessed the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) for ischemic heart disease during the lockdown imposed by the Italian Government. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the number and the findings of stress single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)-MPI performed between February and May 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic at the University of Napoli Federico II. The number and the findings of stress SPECT-MPI studies acquired in the corresponding months of the years 2017, 2018, and 2019 were also evaluated for direct comparison. Results The number of stress SPECT-MPI studies performed during the COVID-19 pandemic (n = 123) was significantly lower (P < 0.0001) compared with the mean yearly number of procedures performed in the corresponding months of the years 2017, 2018, and 2019 (n = 413). Yet, the percentage of abnormal stress SPECT-MPI studies was similar (P = 0.65) during the pandemic (36%) compared with the mean percentage value of the corresponding period of the years 2017, 2018, and 2019 (34%). Conclusion The number of stress SPECT-MPI studies was significantly reduced during the COVID-19 pandemic compared with the corresponding months of the previous 3 years. The lack of difference in the prevalence of abnormal SPECT-MPI studies between the two study periods strongly suggests that many patients with potentially abnormal imaging test have been missed during the pandemic.Keywords
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