York County Medicine Fall 2020 - 18

YO R K C O M E D S O C . O R G

FEATURE:

Delayed
Cardiovascular
Surgery
By: Andre Lijoi, MD, WellSpan York Hospital, Narrative Medicine

HARRISBURG, Pa. (Aug. 19, 2020) - Cardiologists at
UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute are launching a unique,
local research project for patients needing non-emergent,
invasive cardiovascular care. The study's goal is to evaluate the
effectiveness of safety measures used to protect patients from the
transmission of COVID-19.

Across the country, physicians have seen a worrying decline in
patients seeking medical care during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A Kaiser Family Foundation poll found that 48 percent of
Americans claimed they or a family member skipped or delayed
medical care because of the pandemic with 11 percent stating the
individual's condition worsened as a result of the choice to delay.1

Called Restoring non-Emergent Cardiovascular Care in the PeriCOVID-19 Era (RECIPE) Registry, it's the only known study of
its kind in the U.S. that aims to:

Even during a pandemic, essential medical care and services
are important for people to maintain good health. At UPMC
Pinnacle, the system implemented a number of protocols to
ensure patients can receive care safely in its hospitals, outpatient
centers, and physician offices.

1. Identify the risk of patients contracting COVID-19 while
being treated for non-emergent, invasive cardiovascular
procedures at a UPMC Pinnacle facility.
2. Lower the chance of asymptomatic patients transmitting
COVID-19 to health care workers.
3. Determine if getting tested for COVID-19 before and after
a cardiovascular procedure reduces the fear of contracting the
virus while seeking care.
"Putting off needed treatments and procedures is risky,
especially when it's heart or circulation related," said William
Bachinsky, MD, FACC, FSCAI, director of the cardiac and
vascular interventional program, UPMC Pinnacle, and the
principal investigator of the RECIPE Registry. "Yet we know
many people are anxious about returning to a medical office
or hospital for care. UPMC Pinnacle is confident we can safely
provide essential care in our facilities. Our hope is to demonstrate
that the chance of contracting COVID-19, or any other
infection, while receiving care in our facilities is extremely low.
The ultimate goal is that our patients feel confident they can
safely return for care during the pandemic."
18

York County Medicine | FALL 2020

The study is open to patients undergoing a non-emergent,
invasive cardiovascular procedure. Patients who enroll in the
study will be tested for COVID-19 before their procedure. Those
who test positive will have their procedure delayed, followed
by retesting until they test negative for COVID-19. Patients in
the study will be asked to self-quarantine after their procedure
and will undergo repeated testing for COVID-19 seven to 14
days after their procedure. They will also be asked to complete a
patient perception survey 30 days after their procedure.
Up to 1,000 patients who are scheduled for a cardiac or
vascular diagnostic or interventional procedure, structural heart
intervention or electrophysiology diagnostic, ablation, or device
implantation are eligible to enroll. UPMC Pinnacle enrolled its
first patient in this trial on August 3.
1

https://khn.org/news/nearly-half-of-americans-delayed-medical-care-due-topandemic/

http://www.YORKCOMEDSOC.ORG https://khn.org/news/nearly-half-of-americans-delayed-medical-care-due-to-pandemic/

York County Medicine Fall 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of York County Medicine Fall 2020