Consequences of canceling elective invasive cardiac procedures during Covid‐19 outbreak

Background During COVID‐19 pandemic in Spain, elective procedures were canceled or postponed, mainly due to health care systems overwhelming. Objective The objective of this study was to evaluate the consequences of interrupting invasive procedures in patients with chronic cardiac diseases due to the COVID‐19 outbreak in Spain. Methods The study population is comprised of 2,158 patients that were pending on elective cardiac invasive procedures in 37 hospitals in Spain on the 14th of March 2020, when a state of alarm and subsequent lockdown was declared in Spain due to the COVID‐19 pandemic. These patients were followed‐up until April 31th. Results Out of the 2,158 patients, 36 (1.7%) died. Mortality was significantly higher in patients pending on structural procedures (4.5% vs. 0.8%, respectively; p 80 year‐old (5.1% vs. 0.7%, p