The world will be challenged on everything again, in an unprecedented way.
For nearly a couple of years, our lives have changed like never before. The current WHO clinical guide documents cite that ‘there is no current evidence to recommend any specific anti-COVID-19 treatment for patients with confirmed COVID-19’. Many promising remedies such as hydroxychloroquine, favipiravir and remdesivir proved to yield little or no value against the disease, although vaccines promise the light at the end of the tunnel.
After incessant and repetitive “peaks” of pandemic cases and deaths, it is clear that we will have long years and new generations to live with masks, vaccines, protective equipments, sanitizers and hand disinfectants. Therefore, long-term evolution of sociocultural codes should be considered to maintain an everlasting struggle with the disease, while preserving welfare of our civilizations. Therefore, the education of children and women plays a key role to transmit the word from parent to offspring. Even now, most of us have become competent with vaccinology and epidemiology for the sake of COVID-19.
This project, of the book ‘Cardiac Care and COVID-19: Perspectives in Medical Practice’ is intended to encompass the advancements regarding diagnoses and treatment modalities for cardiac diseases in general and emergency cardiac conditions to be more specific, with respect to pandemic conditions. Apart from up-to-date descriptions of the problem and delineation of management principles, case examples were also used to highlight complex issues for a concrete understanding of the medical practitioner.
We aim to conduct a brief overview of epidemiological features of cardiac emergencies and their sociodemographic factors, measures to be taken for prevention, together with diagnostic and therapeutic procedures to pursue amidst the pandemics. The ultimate objective is to provide a reference source with up-to-date information on the management of cardiac emergencies and resuscitation in the COVID-19 era. The optimal management of patients with cardiac disease warrants a multifaceted approach undertaken in harmony. The recent decades have witnessed major advances in methods for monitoring and interventions aiming to improve outcomes in this outstanding cause of death worldwide. Other than technological improvements, the medical community is aware that this task can only be achieved via a mutual collaboration of physicians in the pre-hospital phase, hospital emergency departments, intensive care units, social studies, public health professionals, and bystanders.
“nothing will be the same anymore”
The COVID-19 infection, which has been at the forefront of the agenda with the pandemic it has created, harms humanity both by causing death and diseases and by socioeconomic impairments since the end of the year 2019. In this context, public health measures are of vital importance in minimizing losses. The rational use of diagnostic kits, isolation of diagnosed patients, and supportive treatment are indispensable conditions in reducing deaths. Emergency health services, primary care institutions, emergency medicine, internal medicine, infection, and intensive care clinics have to work in cooperation and unison. Algorithms for case management in hospitals should be updated according to contemporary requirements. More importantly, the public should act in cooperation with healthcare professionals and institutions. Both individual and social measures for the prevention and mitigation of the disease can be effective when implemented together with the legislations and regulations of the state. Immediate isolation of the cases with high suspicion or diagnosis and even applying quarantine is key in reducing the famous 'Rt' values below 1. Combining physical/individual isolation with social solidarity and personal hygiene is vital in order to prevent the production of new cases. Although the COVID-19 PCR test and antibody tests are important in diagnosis, they are not sine qua non, and hospitalization and discharge decisions should be made by keeping the clinical conditions, signs, and symptoms of the patients ahead of the tests.
After all, what about our ‘sweet hearts’? Cardiac diseases are still one of the greatest threats to one’s health on the planet, despite all technological advances achieved in the last decades. For example, life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias including ventricular fibrillation leads to a loss of cardiac function and sudden cardiac death. Guidelines for contemporary therapeutic interventions and for management of patients with in- or out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and refractory arrhythmias in prehospital and emergency settings are key approaches to increase survival and save lives. Advanced modalities for invasive management, including urgent coronary angiography, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, and other innovated strategies for managing cardiac emergencies are still in development in most parts of the world. Beyond any doubt, pandemic circumstances represent a real challenge to provide usual care to those in need, both in prevention and management of the deadly cardiac diseases.
In order to overcome the pandemic with minimized global losses, the scientific community, healthcare facilities, professional organizations, chambers, and state institutions should work in coordination and unison. Only a coordinated approach with all targeted masses reached via awareness programmes and campaigns can create a real difference in this pandemic era.
In summary, cardiac diseases and pandemic threats will not be defeated only by the heroism of physicians, nurses and healthcare professionals. When social and economic measures adapt to healthcare interventions globally, a sought-after 'nadir' of the pandemics will be found in a short time, then the disease will be eradicated safely. Only after this, we, peoples of the world, will be able to continue our search for a mutual and happily shared and enjoyed future. The whole society will have learned their lessons and experienced from all of these. Above all, respecting rights of natural habitats and species will help prevent future pandemics, while efforts for healthy agriculture and raising global equality will minimize risks of both pandemics and cardiac emergencies.
The world will be challenged on everything again, in an unprecedented way.
For nearly a couple of years, our lives have changed like never before. The current WHO clinical guide documents cite that ‘there is no current evidence to recommend any specific anti-COVID-19 treatment for patients with confirmed COVID-19’. Many promising remedies such as hydroxychloroquine, favipiravir and remdesivir proved to yield little or no value against the disease, although vaccines promise the light at the end of the tunnel.
After incessant and repetitive “peaks” of pandemic cases and deaths, it is clear that we will have long years and new generations to live with masks, vaccines, protective equipments, sanitizers and hand disinfectants. Therefore, long-term evolution of sociocultural codes should be considered to maintain an everlasting struggle with the disease, while preserving welfare of our civilizations. Therefore, the education of children and women plays a key role to transmit the word from parent to offspring. Even now, most of us have become competent with vaccinology and epidemiology for the sake of COVID-19.
This book ‘Cardiac Care and COVID-19: Perspectives in Medical Practice’ is intended to encompass the advancements regarding diagnoses and treatment modalities for cardiac diseases in general and emergency cardiac conditions to be more specific, with respect to pandemic conditions. Apart from up-to-date descriptions of the problem and delineation of management principles, case examples were also used to highlight complex issues for a concrete understanding of the medical practitioner.
We aim to conduct a brief overview of epidemiological features of cardiac emergencies and their sociodemographic factors, measures to be taken for prevention, together with diagnostic and therapeutic procedures to pursue amidst the pandemics. The ultimate objective is to provide a reference source with up-to-date information on the management of cardiac emergencies and resuscitation in the COVID-19 era. The optimal management of patients with cardiac disease warrants a multifaceted approach undertaken in harmony. The recent decades have witnessed major advances in methods for monitoring and interventions aiming to improve outcomes in this outstanding cause of death worldwide. Other than technological improvements, the medical community is aware that this task can only be achieved via a mutual collaboration of physicians in the pre-hospital phase, hospital emergency departments, intensive care units, social studies, public health professionals, and bystanders.
“nothing will be the same anymore”
The COVID-19 infection, which has been at the forefront of the agenda with the pandemic it has created, harms humanity both by causing death and diseases and by socioeconomic impairments since the end of the year 2019. In this context, public health measures are of vital importance in minimizing losses. The rational use of diagnostic kits, isolation of diagnosed patients, and supportive treatment are indispensable conditions in reducing deaths. Emergency health services, primary care institutions, emergency medicine, internal medicine, infection, and intensive care clinics have to work in cooperation and unison. Algorithms for case management in hospitals should be updated according to contemporary requirements. More importantly, the public should act in cooperation with healthcare professionals and institutions. Both individual and social measures for the prevention and mitigation of the disease can be effective when implemented together with the legislations and regulations of the state. Immediate isolation of the cases with high suspicion or diagnosis and even applying quarantine is key in reducing the famous 'Rt' values below 1. Combining physical/individual isolation with social solidarity and personal hygiene is vital in order to prevent the production of new cases. Although the COVID-19 PCR test and antibody tests are important in diagnosis, they are not sine qua non, and hospitalization and discharge decisions should be made by keeping the clinical conditions, signs, and symptoms of the patients ahead of the tests.
After all, what about our ‘sweet hearts’? Cardiac diseases are still one of the greatest threats to one’s health on the planet, despite all technological advances achieved in the last decades. For example, life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias including ventricular fibrillation leads to a loss of cardiac function and sudden cardiac death. Guidelines for contemporary therapeutic interventions and for management of patients with in- or out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and refractory arrhythmias in prehospital and emergency settings are key approaches to increase survival and save lives. Advanced modalities for invasive management, including urgent coronary angiography, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, and other innovated strategies for managing cardiac emergencies are still in development in most parts of the world. Beyond any doubt, pandemic circumstances represent a real challenge to provide usual care to those in need, both in prevention and management of the deadly cardiac diseases.
In order to overcome the pandemic with minimized global losses, the scientific community, healthcare facilities, professional organizations, chambers, and state institutions should work in coordination and unison. Only a coordinated approach with all targeted masses reached via awareness programmes and campaigns can create a real difference in this pandemic era.
In summary, cardiac diseases and pandemic threats will not be defeated only by the heroism of physicians, nurses and healthcare professionals. When social and economic measures adapt to healthcare interventions globally, a sought-after 'nadir' of the pandemics will be found in a short time, then the disease will be eradicated safely. Only after this, we, peoples of the world, will be able to continue our search for a mutual and happily shared and enjoyed future. The whole society will have learned their lessons and experienced from all of these. Above all, respecting rights of natural habitats and species will help prevent future pandemics, while efforts for healthy agriculture and raising global equality will minimize risks of both pandemics and cardiac emergencies.
About the Editor:
Dr. Ozgur Karcioglu graduated in Emergency Medicine, Turkey in 1998. He has attended the “International Emergency Medicine” Fellowship in PennState University (2005).
Currently, he is the chair of Dept. of EM, Istanbul Education and Research Hospital. Since 1995, he has been serving as the founder and board member of The Emergency Medical Association of Turkey.
He has more than 150 articles to his credit published in scientific journals. Besides, he has edited a book which has been published in collaboration of InTechOpen. Another book “Demystifying COVID-19: Understanding the disease, its Diagnosis and Treatment” has been published by Bentham Science Publishers. All these publications have been cited 1544 times so far (ResearchGate).
He’s also an instructor of the Advanced Cardiac Life Support Course. His research interests are resuscitation, advanced life support, pain management, airway emergencies, geriatric emergency medicine, disaster medicine, trauma and toxicology, and lastly, COVID-19.
Keywords:
Cardiac Resuscitation, COVID-19 and heart disease, Critical care in COVID-19, Myocardial, infarction and COVID-19, Arrhythmia, COVID-19 Complications, Comorbidities, Intensive care for COVID-19, Cardiology, Heart disease, Sars-cov-2, Coronavirus.
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