Synthetic cannabinoids and ST elevation myocardial infarction.

Synthetic cannabinoids cannot be detected on a standard urine drug screen (UDS), making them a convenient drug of abuse. We report the first case of ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in a young patient due to coronary artery thrombosis secondary to synthetic cannabinoid use and concurrent COVID-19 infection. A 38-year-old previously healthy male developed severe chest pain and was found to have anterior STEMI and COVID-19 infection. Coronary angiography showed acute thrombotic occlusion of the mid-left anterior descending artery that was managed with thrombectomy and stent placement. He only required supportive care for COVID-19. A comprehensive literature search revealed 34 additional cases of STEMI with synthetic cannabinoid use; majority were males (97%) with mean age of 29 years. 29 patients (85.3%) underwent coronary angiography and majority had left anterior descending artery (LAD) involvement (55%), with 13 (44.8%) undergoing stent placement. We highlight STEMI as a potentially lethal complication of synthetic cannabinoids; prompt angiography may be lifesaving.

Minimally invasive treatment of left main coronary artery thrombosis in a young patient with COVID-19.

COVID-19 has been associated with cardiovascular events. This case demonstrates severe left main coronary artery thrombosis with distal embolisation in a young male patient admitted with COVID-19 who developed ST-elevation myocardial infarction. The patient was treated with thrombus aspiration combined with aggressive anticoagulant treatment, which yielded complete resolution of the thrombus. Left main thrombus represents a life-threatening coronary event and is most often associated with atherosclerotic plaque rupture. In this case, however, we suspect that COVID-19-related intimal inflammation and hypercoagulopathy might be the causal mechanism of thrombus formation. Revascularisation with coronary artery bypass grafting or percutaneous coronary intervention is the standard treatment of left main thrombosis. However, due to the patient's young age and lack of significant atherosclerotic disease burden, we used a conservative medical treatment strategy using potent antithrombotic therapy.

Comparison of Outcomes in Patients With COVID-19 and Thrombosis Versus Those Without Thrombosis.

The occurrence of venous thromboembolisms in patients with COVID-19 has been established. We sought to evaluate the clinical impact of thrombosis in patients with COVID-19 over the span of the pandemic to date. We analyzed patients with COVID-19 with a diagnosis of thrombosis who presented to the MedStar Health system (11 hospitals in Washington, District of Columbia, and Maryland) during the pandemic (March 1, 2020, to March 31, 2021). We compared the clinical course and outcomes based on the presence or absence of thrombosis and then, specifically, the presence of cardiac thrombosis. The cohort included 11,537 patients who were admitted for COVID-19. Of these patients, 1,248 had noncardiac thrombotic events and 1,009 had cardiac thrombosis (myocardial infarction) during their hospital admission. Of the noncardiac thrombotic events, 562 (45.0%) were pulmonary embolisms, 480 (38.5%) were deep venous thromboembolisms, and 347 (27.8%) were strokes. In the thrombosis arm, the mean age of the cohort was 64.5 ± 15.3 years, 53.3% were men, and the majority were African-American (64.9%). Patients with thrombosis tended to be older with more co-morbidities. The in-hospital mortality rate was significantly higher (16.0%) in patients with COVID-19 with concomitant non-cardiac thrombosis than in those without thrombosis (7.9%, p <0.001) but lower than in patients with COVID-19 with cardiac thrombosis (24.7%, p <0.001). In conclusion, patients with COVID-19 with thrombosis, especially cardiac thrombosis, are at higher risk for in-hospital mortality. However, this prognosis is not as grim as for patients with COVID-19 and cardiac thrombosis. Efforts should be focused on early recognition, evaluation, and intensifying antithrombotic management for these patients.

Coronary artery thrombus resulting in ST-elevation myocardial infarction in a patient with COVID-19.

COVID-19 is a prothrombotic condition that is also associated with raised troponin levels and myocardial damage. We present a case of a 54-year-old man who was admitted with respiratory failure due to COVID-19 and developed a ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) during his admission. His coronary angiogram did not show any significant coronary artery disease other than a heavily thrombosed right coronary artery. In view of heavy thrombus burden, the right coronary artery was treated with thrombus retrieval using a distal embolic protection device in addition to manual thrombectomy and direct (intracoronary) thrombolysis without the need for implantation of a coronary stent. After successful revascularisation, triple antithrombotic therapy was instituted with an oral anticoagulant in addition to dual antiplatelets. This case illustrates the association of COVID-19 with coronary artery thrombosis, which may require disparate management of a STEMI than that resulting from atherosclerotic coronary artery disease.

Lateral ST-elevation myocardial infarction after donation of COVID-19 convalescent plasma in a naïve donor.

A 34-year-old man presented with central chest pain heralded by bilateral arm numbness, tingling and pain soon after donation of 1000 mL of COVID-19 convalescent plasma (CP). ECG showed ST-elevation in lateral leads and coronary angiogram showed large thrombus in diagonal branch of the left anterior descending artery. The patient underwent successful thrombus aspiration and percutaneous coronary intervention of diagonal branch. In this report, we describe a case of coronary thrombosis leading to ST-elevation myocardial infarction in a naïve plasma donor after donation of COVID-19 CP.

A Review of Coronary Artery Thrombosis: A New Challenging Finding in COVID-19 Patients and ST-elevation Myocardial Infarction.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, more information on the nonrespiratory effects of the coronavirus is obtained. Cardiovascular complications, especially acute coronary syndromes, are rare. However, they prove to be effective factors in the mortality rate of COVID-19 subjects. Acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction with a special angiographic pattern in the form of extensive and multivessel thrombosis, regardless of atherosclerotic plaques, has posed a new therapeutic challenge. This has been associated with an increase in the incidence of stent thrombosis. Hypercoagulation, due to severe inflammation, is the main pathology of this phenomenon. Technically, percutaneous coronary intervention with aspiration thrombectomy and injectable antiplatelet are the mainstay of treatment for these patients. In addition, it is vital that appropriate antiplatelet and ischemia treatment after the intervention be taken into account.