The Iranian Society of Echocardiography (ISE) Statement on Performing Echocardiography During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Corona virus disease 2019(COVID-19) pandemic has caused a significant burden on the global health system. Considerable cardiovascular involvement has been reported among COVID-19 patients with higher ICU admission and mortality rates among patients with cardiovascular comorbidities. Consequently, diagnostic cardiovascular evaluations such as echocardiography are a crucial part of the disease management. On the other hand, providing safety for the patients and the healthcare personnel is a matter of great concern in the pandemic state. In this document, we have provided recommendations on performing echocardiography in hospital echocardiography labs and outpatient echocardiography clinics during the current COVID-19 (Coronavirus disease of 2019) outbreak. (Curr Probl Cardiol 2020;00:100620.

Survival analysis of diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular patients with COVID-19: a secondary data analysis

“…The study results align with previous research that cardiovascular assessment predicts the survival rate of patients suffering from COVID-19; patients with cardiovascular problems have a lower survival rate (Hirata & Yamakage, 2021;Lakhani et al, 2022). The involvement of cardiovascular issues in COVID-19 patients admitted to the ICU and the higher mortality rate further support the idea that the survival rate of COVID-19 patients with cardiovascular comorbidities is lower (Badkoubeh et al, 2020).…”

Preparation, escalation, de‐escalation, and normal activities

“…The research committee plays 2 major roles: providing scientific statements and guidelines on CVD based on the needs of the community or hospital and designing COVID‐19 related research 6–9 . The global goodwill for helping the ongoing battle against the COVID‐19 pandemic has created an unprecedented enthusiasm in the international scientific community to share scientific evidence.…”

“…In light of its position as the leading center for CVD, RCMRC has also been involved in devising different national guidelines concerning the new pandemic. These documents are concentrated not only on the management of different medical states in the COVID‐19 era such as that of ST‐segment‐elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) 6 or cardiopulmonary resuscitation 8 but also on the statements of heart societies, such as the Iranian Society of Cardiovascular Surgeons 9 and the Iranian Society of Echocardiography 7 regarding the current status of their activities in the pandemic era. The center has also issued specific protocols to address the risk of potential adverse events caused by drug–drug interactions between various antiviral agents and prevention medications (e.g., hydroxychloroquine) in patients with CVD.…”