Cardiac pacing procedures during coronavirus disease 2019 lockdown in Southern Italy: insights from Campania Region

BACKGROUND Aim of our study was to assess the association between COVID-19 lockdown and cardiac pacing (CP) procedures rates in Campania Region, the third-most-populous region of Italy with about 5.8 million residents. METHODS Data about type of CP procedures and unit admissions were obtained from 14 CP centers throughout Campania region from March 10th and May 4Th 2020 and compared with the same time frame in 2019. RESULTS A remarkable reduction in both temporary (reduction rate: -62.5%), definitive pace maker (reduction rate: -30.2%), ICD (reduction rate: -48.3%) and CRT (reduction rate: -48.4%) implantation and in CRT replacement (reduction rate: -88.8%) procedures has been shown between the two observation periods among 951 hospitalized patients. Planned hospitalizations showed a reduction rate of 69.3%. Conversely, urgent intra-hospital admissions (increase rate +430%; P < 0.001) increased during COVID-19 lockdown and no significant difference in attendance rate to the emergency department (increase rate +6.7%; P = 0.254) has been shown. CONCLUSION COVID-19 lockdown was associated with a remarkable decrease in CP procedures due to the reduction of planned hospitalizations in Campania Region; however, no significant difference in emergency department admission rate was shown.