Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on patients with rupture of intracranial aneurysm at the Dos de Mayo National Hospital in Lima Peru

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the impact on the outcome of patients with a ruptured aneurysm, who are admitted to the Dos de Mayo National Hospital in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: 42 operated for ruptured aneurysms were included in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic between March 1 and December 31, 2020 (group A), and a control group of 44 patients operated on between March 1 and December 31, 2019 (group B). Upon admission, the poor neurological status defined by the WFNS> 3, the Fisher IV high-grade tomographic status with intracerebral hematoma or acute hydrocephalus, which required external ventricular drainage (EVD), and the presence of vasospasm were evaluated. The Modified Rankin Scale was evaluated at discharge. Statistical analysis was performed to compare both groups. Results: The rates of poor neurological presentation and complications during the presurgical evolution (intracerebral hemorrhage and acute hydrocephalus that required EVD) were higher in group A (p = 0.002 and p <0.05, respectively). The delay in the admission of the patient to the emergency room to receive treatment was 7.5 days in group A and 4.95 days for group B. All these factors contributed to a lower possibility of recovery in group A, which was correlated with higher Values on the Modified Rankin Scale at discharge for this group (p = 0.04). Conclusion: We did not find national reports on ruptured aneurysms treated in the context of the pandemic, this being one of the first studies that demonstrate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in patients with ruptured intracranial aneurysm. The population should be educated on how to act in case of specific symptoms such as sudden intense headache, neurological deficit, or acute chest pain, which should receive timely care, immediate referral, and priority of treatment in referral hospitals in order to reduce morbidity and mortality of complex neurological pathologies. Keywords: Intracranial Aneurysm, Aneurysm, Ruptured, Cerebral Hemorrhage, Pandemics, COVID-19. (Source: MeSH NLM)