ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Current evidence still emerging regarding the risk of cardiovascular (CV) sequel associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection, and considerable replicated studies are needed to ensure safe return-to-play. Therefore, we aimed in this systematic review to measure the prevalence of CV complications suffered by COVID-19 athletic patients, explore the outcomes, optimal approaches to diagnoses, and safe return-to-play considerations. METHODS: A systematic search on post COVID-19 infection quantitative studies among athletes was conducted following MeSH terms in Medline, Cochrane Library, Ovid, Embase and Scopus (through 15 January 2022). We included peer-reviewed studies reported athletes' CV complications and the outcomes post COVID-19 infection. Editorials, letters, commentaries, and clinical guidelines, as well as duplicate studies were excluded. Studies involving non-athletic patients were also excluded. Quality assessment was performed using Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. RESULTS: We included 15 eligible articles with a total of 6229 athletes, of whom 1023 were elite or professional athletes. The prevalence of myocarditis ranged between 0.4% and 15.4%, pericarditis 0.06% and 2.2%, and pericardial effusion between 0.27% and 58%. Five studies reported elevated troponin levels (0.9-6.9%). CONCLUSIONS: This study provides a low prevalence of CV complications secondary to COVID-19 infection in short-term follow-up. Early recognition and continuous assessment of cardiac abnormality in competitive athletes are imperative to prevent cardiac complications. Establishing a stepwise evaluation approach is critical with an emphasis on imaging techniques for proper diagnosis and risk assessment for a safe return to play.
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 infection has spread rampantly, attaining pandemic status within three months of its first appearance. It has been classically associated with respiratory signs and symptoms. However, unusual presentations have also been reported in multiple literatures. We are reporting a case of acute heart failure in a pregnant patient diagnosed with Covid-19 infection. Her hospital course has been complicated by pneumonia and venous thrombosis during the postpartum period. Her laboratory investigations showed evidence of myocardial injury, acute heart failure, and COVID-19 infection in second PCR sample taken during postpartum period. Echocardiography exhibited features of severe left ventricle systolic dysfunction. She had successful delivery through caesarean-section, nevertheless, her postpartum period was complicated by pneumonia and right femoral venous thrombosis. CT scan of the chest and pulmonary arteries revealed infiltrations in the left lower lobe and right middle lobe, suggestive of consolidation, with no evidence of pulmonary embolism. Cardiac MRI displayed severe global LV and RV systolic dysfunction, but no evidence of myocardial infarction, myocardial infiltration, or abnormal myocardial delayed enhancement. Her condition improved and she was discharged on heart failure medications. During follow-up at the heart failure clinic, her symptoms continued to ameliorate, except the LV and RV systolic dysfunction which persisted. Multiple unusual presentations of Covid-19 infection have been reported in various literatures and screening of the COVID-19 infection should be practiced on regular basis especially among high-risk patients. Prompt identification of COVID-19 infection will lead to proper isolation and mitigation of infection spread among hospitalized patients and health care workers. Covid-19 PCR should be repeated in cases having clinical indication and negative first sample. A proper history and cardiac MRI can differentiate between different aetiologies of heart failure during pregnancy and peripartum COVID-19 infection. Adequate anticoagulation should be considered in COVID-19 patients due to the high risk of thromboembolism. Among patients with COVID-19 infection, CT chest helps demonstrate the extent of pulmonary involvement.