A group of North American cardiovascular societies released guidance today on the resumption of heart-related procedures in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The guidance, scheduled to be published in a future issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, takes into account regional differences in the intensity of the outbreak.
Most invasive cardiovascular procedures and diagnostic tests have been deferred within North America, resulting in waiting lists for patients at increased risk of adverse outcomes, the groups said. Reduced access to diagnostic testing will lead to a high burden of undiagnosed cardiovascular disease that will further delay time to treatment, they added.