ABSTRACT
There is growing evidence that patients with severe systemic illness from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are at risk for developing a variety of cardiac arrhythmias. Less is known about patients with milder symptoms. Here, we report on the case of a 62-year-old male, admitted to the hospital following an episode of syncope, who experienced multiple episodes of cardiac arrest due to asystole lasting up to 30 seconds. History revealed a recent asymptomatic COVID-19 infection, and recurrent episodes of prolonged asystole necessitated permanent pacemaker placement. To our knowledge, this is the first report of an asymptomatic COVID-19 patient experiencing prolonged asystole. Cardiac arrhythmias in asymptomatic or oligosymptomatic COVID-19 patients may be underestimated.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Data regarding coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases and outcomes in infants are sparse compared to older pediatric and adult populations. CASE PRESENTATION: We present a three-week-old full-term male with a history of mild hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) who was admitted as an inpatient twice for episodes of apnea and perioral cyanosis. The patient tested positive for COVID-19 and negative for other common respiratory viruses at both admissions. CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this is the first report of apnea and perioral cyanosis associated with COVID-19 in an infant. This case highlights a previously undocumented COVID-19 presentation and suggests that even mildly symptomatic infants warrant viral diagnostic testing in an effort to prevent further spread of the disease.