Guidance and Best Practices for Nuclear Cardiology Laboratories During the COVID-19 Pandemic

ince its emergence in December 2019, Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has profoundly affected healthcare systems worldwide.No aspect of medical practice has been untouched, and each area of practice has unique considerations to be taken into account. 1-9COVID-19 is associated with increased risks in patients with cardiovascular disease and provides unique challenges for their care, as well as for the care of all patients in healthcare facilities and the staff in these facilities. 10,11As prevention is of utmost importance to contain the spread of COVID-19, all non-urgent nuclear cardiology studies should be postponed and only urgent studies performed whenever clinically appropriate to expedite management of outpatients, as well as assessment and disposition of inpatients and emergency department patients, and expand hospital capacity, with precautions to minimize exposure of healthcare professionals and patients.In this Information Statement, the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (ASNC) and Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) address the practice of nuclear cardiology in the setting of the current COVID-19 pandemic reflecting the perspectives of diverse practices across the United States and worldwide.The document is organized around steps for protection of healthcare personnel and the patient, using the patient's journey through the nuclear cardiology laboratory, for inpatients, outpatients, and emergency department patients.We emphasize that many of these recommendations are practice based, and not systematically tested, and must be considered in the context of following state, local public health, and institutional infection control policies which may change day by day in this rapidly changing outbreak.This guidance is provided as an initial response to this pandemic and changes could be necessary if this becomes chronic or seasonal.