Third-Degree Heart Block in COVID-19 Pneumonia Complicated by Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) Bacteremia. A Case Report and Review of Literature.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) burden has been identified to cause multiorgan damage. Respiratory compromise is still one of the most common presentations, but cardiac injuries like myocardial injury, ischemia, and conduction abnormalities are also becoming prevalent. We present a case of an 87-year-old male with a history of dementia, type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, chronic kidney disease, and a left kidney transplant hospitalized for respiratory distress and generalized tonic-clonic seizures. He was bradycardic to 27 beats per minute, hypotensive with mean arterial pressure <60 mm Hg. An electrocardiogram (EKG) depicted a high-grade atrioventricular block (AV-block). The transvenous pacemaker was placed via femoral access and tested positive for COVID-19. Work-up was done to rule out possible causes of bradycardia, like hypothyroidism, ischemia, AV nodal blocking agents, and drug-induced bradycardia was negative. His hospital stay got complicated by methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) pneumonia leading to empyema and bacteremia. Unfortunately, being critically ill, the family opted for comfort measures, and he passed away. Our clinical vignette signifies cardiovascular complications in COVID-19 patients are associated with poor outcomes if not addressed. The conduction abnormalities in patients with intact cardiac structure and function are becoming more common in the setting of COVID infection. Assessment with serial EKGs and cardiac monitoring might be essential as patients can develop AV blocks at any point of the disease.

COVID-19 Resulting in Global Stress Cardiomyopathy in a Young Female.

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, also called stress cardiomyopathy, is a form of reversible cardiomyopathy that occurs during periods of emotional or physical stress. There are many variants of takotsubo. They are classified depending on the region of hypokinesis: the most common four variants include the apical/typical variant (left ventricular apical hypokinesis), the midventricular type (midventricular hypokinesis), the basal type (basal hypokinesis), and the focal type (isolated segmental dysfunction of the left ventricle). Rarely takotsubo presents as a global variant where there is global left ventricular hypokinesis. Takotsubo cardiomyopathy has had an increasing incidence since the COVID-19 pandemic. We report a case of a 29-year-old woman with no prior cardiac history who presented with a seizure and was found to have COVID-19. The patient's echocardiogram showed global cardiomyopathy, a rare type of takotsubo cardiomyopathy.

Right Ventricular Thrombus Masquerading as a Tumor.

Cardiac tumors are an uncommon phenomenon. Although they can be cardiac in origin, most represent a distant neoplastic growth metastasizing to the heart. Cardiac tumors can be benign or malignant. They may be symptomatic or, more commonly, found incidentally. Clinical presentation is typically related to that of dispersed neoplasm. We report a case of a 36-year-old young man with an unusually large and smooth-surfaced right ventricular mass. The patient presented to the emergency department with exertional dyspnea for two weeks. Past medical history was significant for deep venous thrombosis with non-adherence to anti-coagulation. Computerized tomographic (CT) angiography showed bilateral pulmonary emboli and a hypodense opacity in the right ventricle. A transthoracic echocardiogram showed a right ventricular non-mobile mass. The patient underwent surgical removal of the mass, which pathology demonstrated to be a thrombus. Cardiac masses can be difficult to differentiate based on imaging alone. Physicians should maintain a high index of suspicion for intracardiac thrombi as early identification and prompt treatment are imperative in improving patient outcomes.

Lemierre's Syndrome in an Elderly Female Patient with Polycythemia Vera: Does Polycythemia Vera Predispose to Lemierre's Syndrome?

BACKGROUND Lemierre's syndrome (LS), a potentially fatal condition, is characterized by thrombophlebitis of a head or neck vein secondary to a head or neck infection, most commonly involving Fusobacterium necrophorum. Its association with polycythemia vera (PV) is not well reported despite the predisposition to thrombogenesis. CASE REPORT We present the case of a 66-year-old woman with a known history of polycythemia vera (PV) who presented with 4 days of worsening right-sided neck pain and odynophagia. The physical examination revealed poor oral dentition, mild erythema of the posterior pharyngeal mucosa, and non-erythematous tonsils without exudate. A computed tomography with i.v. contrast of the neck revealed complete thrombosis of the right internal jugular vein (IJV). Treatment was initiated with i.v. antibiotics and anticoagulation, with symptoms improving rapidly within 24 h. She was eventually discharged on apixaban and clindamycin and was encouraged to follow up with her hematologist. CONCLUSIONS PV predisposes patients to a hyper-viscous and prothrombotic state, which may warrant a stronger suspicion of Lemierre's syndrome. In addition, lack of aspirin use for prophylaxis of thrombosis and undiagnosed oral infection are factors to consider when assessing risk factors for Lemierre's syndrome in PV patients.

Multiple strokes due to pulmonary arteriovenous malformation.

We present a case of recurrent strokes in a patient with absent left internal carotid artery (ICA) and pulmonary arteriovenous malformation. Pulmonary arteriovenous malformations (PAVMs) are abnormal communications between pulmonary artery and pulmonary vein, cause extracardiac right to left shunting of blood and are known to significantly increase the risk of stroke primarily due to paradoxical embolization. They are often hereditary and are commonly associated with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasias (HHT). Delayed bubbles seen in the left ventricle (after 3 cardiac cycles) on transthoracic echocardiogram with bubble study is often the first clue to the presence of PAVMs. CT scan of the chest can confirm the diagnosis. Percutaneous embolotherapy is the treatment of choice with reduction in stroke risk post embolization.

Outcomes of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) among patients with connective tissue disease: Propensity match analysis.

BACKGROUND: Inflammation is the hallmark of coronary artery disease (CAD) and CTD. There are reports of increased prevalence of CAD among patients with CTD such as Rheumatoid Arthritis. However, there is a paucity of data regarding the outcomes of PCI among patients with CTD. METHODS: Using the National Inpatient Database, patients that underwent PCI between 2007 and 2015 were identified using ICD-9-CM codes. Propensity match analysis with 1: 3 matching of patients with and without CTD was performed. Outcomes were acute kidney injury (AKI), access site complication (ASC), ventricular fibrillation (VF), cardiogenic shock (CS), Stroke, In-hospital mortality and hospital length of stay (LOS) compared between both groups. RESULT: We identified 17,422 patients with CTD and matched with 52, 266 patients without CTD. Patients were predominantly female (63.1%) and white (77.2%), with a mean age of 63 ± 12.1 years. AKI (8.3% vs. 6.6%, p < 0.001), ASC (3.2% vs. 2.7%, p = 0.01) and hospital stay (4.2 ± 4.8 vs. 3.8 ± 5.2, p < 0.001) were higher among patients with CTD. There was no statistically significant difference in rates of VF, CS, stroke, and In-hospital mortality among the two groups. However, in subgroup analysis, rates of VF were lower among patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) (1.5% vs. 2.2%, p = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with CTD undergoing PCI have a higher rate of AKI, Access site complications, and prolonged hospital stay.

Percutaneous Closure of the Patent Foramen Ovale on Right Ventricular Mechanical Circulatory Support.

Right ventricular infarction can precipitate severe right-to-left shunting and refractory hypoxia from a previously dormant patent foramen ovale. Right ventricle mechanical circulatory support and patent foramen ovale closure can play a crucial role in the treatment of hypoxia and right ventricular recovery. We report a case of successful percutaneous patent foramen ovale closure on right ventricle mechanical circulatory support in a patient with right ventricular shock. (Level of Difficulty: Intermediate.).

Cardiac tamponade in a patient with ankylosing spondylitis: a notable response to TNF inhibitors.

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a rheumatological disorder of the spine, and like many other rheumatological diseases, it can manifest as a systemic inflammation. We present a rare case of cardiac manifestations of AS in a 25-year-old man with recurrent chest pain and pericardial effusions. He initially presented with pleuritic chest pain, was diagnosed with cardiac tamponade and required emergent pericardiocentesis. The patient returned again with chest pain and was found to have reaccumulation of pericardial effusion. The cardiac symptoms were finally resolved when he was diagnosed and treated for AS.

Unusual Sign from an Unusual Cause: Wellens' Syndrome due to Myocardial Bridging.

It is vital to recognize correctly, chest pain of cardiac etiology. Most commonly, it is because of blood supply-demand inequity in the myocardium. However, the phenomenon of myocardial bridging as a cause of cardiac chest pain has come to attention reasonably recently. Herein, a coronary artery with a normal epicardial orientation develops a transient myocardial course. If the cardiac muscle burden is substantial, the respective artery gets compressed during each cycle of systole, thereby impeding blood flow in the artery. Hence, myocardial bridging has been attributed to as a rare cause of angina. In this case report, the authors discuss a patient in whom myocardial bridging turned out to be an elusive cause of angina. We wish to underscore the importance of being clinically mindful of myocardial bridging when assessing a patient with angina.

Electrocardiogram Changes with Acute Alcohol Intoxication: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Acute alcohol intoxication has been associated with cardiac arrhythmias but the electrocardiogram (ECG) changes associated with acute alcohol intoxication are not well defined in the literature. OBJECTIVE: Highlight the best evidence regarding the ECG changes associated with acute alcohol intoxication in otherwise healthy patients and the pathophysiology of the changes. METHODS: A literature search was carried out; 4 studies relating to ECG changes with acute alcohol intoxication were included in this review. RESULTS: Of the total 141 patients included in the review, 90 (63.8%) patients had P-wave prolongation, 80 (56%) patients had QTc prolongation, 19 (13.5%) patients developed T-wave abnormalities, 10 (7%) patients had QRS complex prolongation, 3 (2.12%) patients developed ST-segment depressions. CONCLUSION: The most common ECG changes associated with acute alcohol intoxication are (in decreasing order of frequency) P-wave and QTc prolongation, followed by T-wave abnormalities and QRS complex prolongation. Mostly, these changes are completely reversible.

Comparison of single versus dual antiplatelet therapy after TAVR: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: We aim to evaluate the efficacy of dual versus single anti-platelet therapy (SAPT) after TAVR through a systematic review and meta-analysis of published research. BACKGROUND: Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) with aspirin and clopidogrel is a commonly practiced strategy after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). However, there is lack of sufficient evidence supporting this approach. METHOD: We searched PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled trials, and the clinical trial registry maintained at clinicaltrials.gov for randomized control trials (RCT) and observational studies comparing DAPT with SAPT post TAVR. Event rates were compared using a forest plot of relative risk with 95% confidence intervals using a random-effects model assuming inter-study heterogeneity. RESULTS: A total of six studies (3 RCTs and 3 observational studies, n = 840) were included in the final analysis. Compared to SAPT, DAPT was associated with increased risk of significant bleeding (life threatening and major) [RR = 2.52 (95% CI 1.62-3.92, P < 0.0001)] with the number needed to harm for major or life-threatening bleeding calculated to be 10.4. There was no significant difference in the incidence of stroke [RR = 1.06 (95% CI, 0.43-2.60, P = 0.90)], spontaneous myocardial infarction [RR = 2.08 (95% CI, 0.56-7.70, P = 0.27)] and all-cause mortality [RR = 1.18 (95% CI, 0.68-2.05, P = 0.56] in the DAPT and SAPT groups. CONCLUSION: In this small meta-analysis of DAPT versus SAPT after TAVR, DAPT did not prevent stroke, myocardial infarction or death while the risk of bleeding was higher. Results from ongoing trials are awaited to determine the best anti-thrombotic approach after TAVR.

Right ventricular infarction.

Coronary Heart Disease is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. A great amount is known about left ventricular myocardial infarction. It was not until much later (1974) that right ventricular myocardial infarction was studied as a separate entity. Isolated right ventricle myocardial infarction is rare. Around one-third of patients with acute infero-posterior ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, will present with concomitant right ventricular infraction. The aim of this paper is to review the literature on the importance of early recognition of right ventricular infarction, clinical presentation, pathophysiology, diagnostic evaluation, differential diagnosis, treatment, complications and prognosis.