Severe Sinus Bradycardia: An Unusual Cardiac Manifestation of COVID-19

Mohammed Ali1, Abdalaziz Awadelkarim1, Patrick Bishop1

  • 1Wayne State University/Detroit Medical Center, Detroit, MI, USA.

Insights

COVID-19 infection can cause unusual heart problems. A patient with heart failure developed persistent slow heart rate (bradycardia) due to coronavirus, needing a pacemaker.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Virology

Background:

  • Accumulating evidence links COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) infection with cardiovascular complications.
  • Cardiovascular issues represent a significant concern in patients diagnosed with COVID-19.

Observation:

  • A 58-year-old female patient with a history of systolic heart failure presented with COVID-19 infection.
  • The patient developed persistent symptomatic bradycardia, a condition characterized by an abnormally slow heart rate.

Findings:

  • The persistent bradycardia was attributed to unusual conductive tissue involvement by the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2).
  • This case highlights a rare cardiac manifestation of COVID-19 affecting the heart's electrical system.

Implications:

  • This case underscores the potential for SARS-CoV-2 to cause direct myocardial injury and conduction abnormalities.
  • Pacemaker implantation may be necessary in select cases of COVID-19-induced bradycardia unresponsive to medical management.
  • Further research is warranted to elucidate the mechanisms of cardiac involvement in COVID-19 and its long-term cardiovascular sequelae.

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