COVID-19 Associated Myocarditis Clinical Outcomes among Hospitalized Patients in the United States: A Propensity Matched Analysis of National Inpatient Sample.

Coronavirus-19 (COVID-19), preliminarily a respiratory virus, can affect multiple organs, including the heart. Myocarditis is a well-known complication among COVID-19 infections, with limited large-scale studies evaluating outcomes associated with COVID-19-related Myocarditis. We used the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database to compare COVID-19 patients with and without Myocarditis. A total of 1,659,040 patients were included in the study: COVID-19 with Myocarditis (n = 6,455, 0.4%) and COVID-19 without Myocarditis (n = 1,652,585, 99.6%). The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes included mechanical ventilation, vasopressor use, sudden cardiac arrest, cardiogenic shock, acute kidney injury requiring hemodialysis, length of stay, health care utilization costs, and disposition. We conducted a secondary analysis with propensity matching to confirm results obtained by traditional multivariate analysis. COVID-19 patients with Myocarditis had significantly higher in-hospital mortality compared to COVID-19 patients without Myocarditis (30.5% vs. 13.1%, adjusted OR: 3 [95% CI 2.1-4.2], p < 0.001). This cohort also had significantly increased cardiogenic shock, acute kidney injury requiring hemodialysis, sudden cardiac death, required more mechanical ventilation and vasopressor support and higher hospitalization cost. Vaccination and more research for treatment strategies will be critical for reducing worse outcomes in patients with COVID-19-related Myocarditis.

Severe COVID-19-associated myocarditis with cardiogenic shock - management with assist devices - a case report & review.

BACKGROUND: Primary viral myocarditis associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-Cov2) infection is a rare diagnosis. CASE PRESENTATION: We report the case of an unvaccinated, healthy patient with cardiogenic shock in the context of a COVID-19-associated myocarditis and therapy with simultaneous veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) and percutaneous left ventricular decompression therapy with an Impella. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of therapeutic options for patients with COVID-19-associated myocarditis. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of patients required a combination of two assist devices to achieve sufficient cardiac output until recovery of left ventricular ejection fraction. Due to the rapid onset of this fulminant cardiogenic shock immediate invasive bridging therapy in a specialized center was lifesaving.

Refractory Cardiogenic Shock Secondary to Acute Myocarditis in a Child with Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome Associated with COVID-19: A Case Report.

Children with Coronavirus disease 2019 infection usually have mild symptoms but rarely may present with a life-threatening condition called a multisystem inflammatory syndrome. We report a case of COVID-19-related multisystem inflammatory syndrome in an 8-year-old boy who presented with cardiogenic shock due to acute myocarditis with no features of Kawasaki disease. Cardiogenic shock was refractory to fluids and inotropes. Later, this case was successfully managed with hydrocortisone and intravenous immunoglobulin. Therefore, this case report highlights keeping a lookout for such atypical presentations and early referral to a higher center for timely intervention and aggressive therapy specifically directed against the underlying inflammatory process to ameliorate the outcomes. Keywords: cardiogenic shock; COVID-19; kawasaki disease; myocarditis; Nepal.

A Visual Depiction of Left Ventricular Unloading in Veno-Arterial ExtraCorporeal Membrane Oxygenation With Impella.

Left ventricular (LV) unloading has been associated with improved survival in patients treated with venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. This case describes a patient with a COVID-19 infection who subsequently developed non-ischemic cardiomyopathy with an LV ejection fraction of 10% to 15% (baseline echocardiography). He did poorly in the outpatient setting and was admitted to an outside hospital with heart failure symptoms and was subsequently transferred to our hospital for escalation of care and consideration of advanced heart failure therapies. This clinical image and related video series help to visually demonstrate the effect of LV unloading in a 30-year-old male with a history of COVID-19 myocarditis.

[Reverse Takotsubo ou myocardite fulminante ? Succès de VA ECMO chez une patiente ayant une atteinte cardiaque liée COVID 19]. / Reverse TakoTsubo or Fulminant myocarditis ? Life saving VA ECMO in a COVID 19 patient.

A 45 years old female patient was admitted to our facility for COVID -19 infection complicated by fulminant cardiac injury and refractory cardiogemic shock. She had echographic findings of reverse takotsubo cardiomyopathy. She was successfully treated by VA-ECMO allowing complete revocery of the left ventricule function and weaning from support.

Characteristics and outcomes of patients presenting with acute myocardial infarction and cardiogenic shock during COVID-19.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate characteristics and outcomes of patients presenting with acute myocardial infarction and cardiogenic shock (AMICS) during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has created challenges in delivering acute cardiovascular care. Quality measures and outcomes of patients presenting with AMICS during COVID-19 in the United States have not been well described. METHODS: We identified 406 patients from the National Cardiogenic Shock Initiative (NCSI) with AMICS and divided them into those presenting before (N = 346, 5/9/2016-2/29/2020) and those presenting during the COVID-19 pandemic (N = 60, 3/1/2020-11/10/2020). We compared baseline clinical data, admission characteristics, and outcomes. RESULTS: The median age of the cohort was 64 years, and 23.7% of the group was female. There were no significant differences in age, sex, and medical comorbidities between the two groups. Patients presenting during the pandemic were less likely to be Black compared to those presenting prior. Median door to balloon (90 vs. 88 min, p = 0.38), door to support (88 vs. 78 min, p = 0.13), and the onset of shock to support (74 vs. 62 min, p = 0.15) times were not significantly different between the two groups. Patients presented with ST-elevation myocardial infarction more often during the COVID-19 period (95.0% vs. 80.0%, p = 0.005). In adjusted logistic regression models, COVID-19 period did not significantly associate with survival to discharge (odds ratio [OR] 1.09, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.54-2.19, p = 0.81) or with 1-month survival (OR 0.82, 95% CI 0.42-1.61, p = 0.56). CONCLUSIONS: Care of patients presenting with AMICS has remained robust among hospitals participating in the NCSI during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Myocarditis following COVID-19 vaccination in adolescents and adults: a cumulative experience of 2021.

Clinical course and outcomes of myocarditis after COVID-19 vaccination remain variable. We retrospectively collected data on patients > 12 years old from 01/01/2021 to 12/30/2021 who received COVID-19 messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccination and were diagnosed with myocarditis within 60 days of vaccination. Myocarditis cases were based on case definitions by authors. We report on 238 patients of whom most were male (n = 208; 87.1%). The mean age was 27.4 ± 16 (range 12-80) years. Females presented at older ages (41.3 ± 21.5 years) than men 25.7 ± 14 years (p = 0.001). In patients > 20 years of age, the mean duration from vaccination to symptoms was 4.8 days ± 5.5 days, but in < 20, it was 3.0 ± 3.3 days (p = 0.04). Myocarditis occurred most commonly after the Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA vaccine (n = 183; 76.45) and after the second dose (n = 182; 80%). Symptoms started 3.95 ± 4.5 days after vaccination. The commonest symptom was chest pain (n = 221; 93%). Patients were treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (n = 105; 58.3%), colchicine (n = 38; 21.1%), or glucocorticoids (n = 23; 12.7%). About 30% of the patients had left ventricular ejection fraction but more than half recovered the on repeat imaging. Abnormal cardiac MRIs were common; 168 patients (96% of 175 patients that had MRI) had late gadolinium enhancement, while 120 patients (68.5%) had myocardial edema. Heart failure guideline-directed medical therapy use was common (n = 27; 15%). Eleven patients had cardiogenic shock; and 4 patients required mechanical circulatory support. Five patients (1.7%) died; of these, 3 patients had endomyocardial biopsy/autopsy-confirmed myocarditis. Most cases of COVID-19 vaccine myocarditis are mild. Females presented at older ages than men and duration from vaccination to symptoms was longer in patients > 20 years. Cardiogenic shock requiring mechanical circulatory support was seen and mortality was low. Future studies are needed to better evaluate risk factors, and long-term outcomes of COVID-19 mRNA vaccine myocarditis.

[Initiation timing of veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation].

Veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) is a salvage therapy for critical patients with refractory cardiogenic shock caused by various reasons. It can temporarily replace cardiopulmonary function, and rapidly improve hypoxemia, increase systemic oxygen content and remove carbon dioxide. Although the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO) guideline proposed clear indication for VA-ECMO, the heterogeneity of cardiac pathogeny is large, so the clear timing of ECMO initiation is still vague. We discuss the timing of ECMO initiation for external cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) and cardiogenic shock which is caused by fulminant myocarditis, acute myocardial infarction, acute pulmonary embolism, acute right heart failure related to lung transplantation, corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-associated cardiovascular collapse. Also, we look forward to making more suggestions for clinicians' judgment and choice for VA-ECMO.

COVID-19 Myocarditis: An Emerging Clinical Conundrum.

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been a significant cause of global mortality and morbidity since it was first reported in December 2019 in Wuhan, China. COVID19 like previous coronaviruses primarily affects the lungs causing pneumonia, interstitial pneumonitis, and severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). However, there is increasing evidence linking COVID-19 to cardiovascular complications such as arrhythmias, heart failure, cardiogenic shock, fulminant myocarditis, and cardiac death. Given the novelty of this virus, there is paucity of data on some cardiovascular complications of COVID-19, specifically myocarditis. Myocarditis is an inflammatory disease of the heart muscle with a heterogenous clinical presentation and progression. It is mostly caused by viral infections and is the result of interaction of the virus and the host's immune system. There have been several case reports linking COVID-19 with myocarditis, however the true mechanism of cardiac injury remains under investigation. In this paper we review the clinical presentation, proposed pathophysiology, differential diagnoses and management of myocarditis in COVID-19 patients.

Mechanical Complication of Acute Myocardial Infarction Secondary to COVID-19 Disease.

The aggressive inflammatory response to COVID-19 can result in airway damage, respiratory failure, cardiac injury, and multiorgan failure, which lead to death in susceptible patients. Cardiac injury and acute myocardial infarction (AMI) secondary to COVID-19 disease can lead to hospitalization, heart failure, and sudden cardiac death. When serious collateral damage from tissue necrosis or bleeding occurs, mechanical complications of myocardial infarction and cardiogenic shock can ensue. While prompt reperfusion therapies have decreased the incidence of these serious complications, patients who present late following the initial infarct are at increased for mechanical complications, cardiogenic shock, and death. The health outcomes for patients with mechanical complications are dismal if not recognized and treated promptly. Even if they survive serious pump failure, their CICU stay is often prolonged, and their index hospitalization and follow-up visits may consume significant resources and impact the health care system.

Novel method for left ventricular unloading utilizing percutaneous pulmonary artery drainage in cardiorespiratory failure due to COVID-19 infection.

Left ventricular (LV) unloading is an important concept in patients undergoing peripheral venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO). We present a case of a 32-year-old male in acute cardiorespiratory collapse due to coronavirus disease (COVID-19) who underwent VA-ECMO cannulation in the setting of cardiogenic shock and acute respiratory distress syndrome. Due to inability to utilize percutaneous LV assist device (pLVAD) for LV unloading due to small end diastolic dimension, alternative strategies were explored. A traditionally utilized right ventricular support device, the ProTek Duo (TandemLife, Pittsburgh, PA), was utilized to drain the pulmonary artery, leading to improvement in parameters for cardiogenic shock. To our knowledge, this is the first case in which a ProTek Duo has been utilized in conjunction with VA-ECMO to provide LV unloading in support of a patient in cardiogenic shock. This method can be employed in future challenging situations where pLVAD is not feasible.

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in adults (MIS-A) following COVID-19 requiring venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

The SARS-CoV-2 virus has caused a global pandemic with serious impact around the world. Patients most commonly present with severe lung involvement and acute respiratory failure; however, multisystem inflammatory syndrome in adults (MIS-A) is a known-although rare-complication. We present a case of a 49-year-old patient who presented with combined cardiogenic and vasodilatory shock and was diagnosed with MIS-A. He initially required venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and Impella for haemodynamic support but was able to be weaned off these devices with complete recovery of left ventricular systolic function. This case demonstrates that MIS-A may present as haemodynamic collapse in adults, but complete recovery is possible with proper haemodynamic support.

Veno-Arterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation in Patients with Fulminant Myocarditis: A Review of Contemporary Literature.

Fulminant myocarditis is characterized by life threatening heart failure presenting as cardiogenic shock requiring inotropic or mechanical circulatory support to maintain tissue perfusion. There are limited data on the role of veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) in the management of fulminant myocarditis. This review seeks to evaluate the management of fulminant myocarditis with a special emphasis on the role and outcomes with VA-ECMO use.

A case of fulminant myocarditis due to COVID-19 in an adolescent patient successfully treated with venous arterial ECMO as a bridge to recovery.

Emerging data suggest an association between severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 and the development of acute myocarditis, with children and older adults being most at risk. We describe the clinical course of a previously healthy 12-year-old female who rapidly deteriorated into cardiogenic shock and arrest due to coronavirus disease 2019 induced fulminant myocarditis, necessitating venous-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation as a bridge to full recovery. This case highlights the importance of early clinical recognition of myocardial involvement, and the benefits of taking a multidisciplinary approach in treating these patients.

Epidemiology of Acute Heart Failure in Critically Ill Patients With COVID-19: An Analysis From the Critical Care Cardiology Trials Network.

BACKGROUND: Acute heart failure (HF) is an important complication of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and has been hypothesized to relate to inflammatory activation. METHODS: We evaluated consecutive intensive care unit (ICU) admissions for COVID-19 across 6 centers in the Critical Care Cardiology Trials Network, identifying patients with vs without acute HF. Acute HF was subclassified as de novo vs acute-on-chronic, based on the absence or presence of prior HF. Clinical features, biomarker profiles and outcomes were compared. RESULTS: Of 901 admissions to an ICU due to COVID-19, 80 (8.9%) had acute HF, including 18 (2.0%) with classic cardiogenic shock (CS) and 37 (4.1%) with vasodilatory CS. The majority (n = 45) were de novo HF presentations. Compared to patients without acute HF, those with acute HF had higher cardiac troponin and natriuretic peptide levels and similar inflammatory biomarkers; patients with de novo HF had the highest cardiac troponin levels. Notably, among patients critically ill with COVID-19, illness severity (median Sequential Organ Failure Assessment, 8 [IQR, 5-10] vs 6 [4-9]; P = 0.025) and mortality rates (43.8% vs 32.4%; P = 0.040) were modestly higher in patients with vs those without acute HF. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients critically ill with COVID-19, acute HF is distinguished more by biomarkers of myocardial injury and hemodynamic stress than by biomarkers of inflammation.

[Acute myocardial infarction and cardiogenic shock in patient with COVID-19].

The conditions of the pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) are associated with overloading intensive care units, conversion of hospitals, and changes in routing of patients with acute cardiovascular pathology. At the same time, medical practice is still challenged to provide medical care to patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Patients with COVID-19 and acute myocardial infarction (AMI) are at a higher risk of death while the incidence of this combination of diseases will be growing. This article describes a case of diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19 in a 69-year-old patient who was urgently hospitalized with cardiogenic shock associated with ACS, electrocardiographic signs of complete left bundle branch block, and left ventricular ejection fraction of 19 %. Coronary angiography with stenting was successfully performed in the conditions of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. The patient received long-term intensive therapy in the intensive care unit followed by symptomatic treatment in the cardiac surgery unit. The patient's condition gradually improved and he was discharged from the hospital on the 56th day. The strategy of intensive care and active follow-up helped saving life of the patient with COVID-19 and AMI.