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Utilizing Percutaneous Ventricular Assist Devices in Acute Myocardial Infarction Complicated by Cardiogenic Shock
Published on: June 12, 2021
Cardiovascular complications of COVID-19
1Faculty of Medicine School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
Insights
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can cause severe cardiac injury, leading to poor outcomes. This review details COVID-19 cardiovascular complications, their causes, and supportive management strategies.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Critical Care Medicine
Background:
- Cardiac injury in COVID-19 patients is linked to high mortality.
- Understanding cardiovascular complications is crucial for patient management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the literature on COVID-19-related cardiovascular complications.
- To elucidate the causes, diagnosis, and management of these complications.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of COVID-19 cardiovascular complications.
- Analysis of putative causes, diagnostic markers, and treatment strategies.
Main Results:
- Causes include cytokine storm, myocarditis, plaque rupture, hypercoagulability, and stress cardiomyopathy.
- Elevated cardiac troponin, D-dimer, and NT-proBNP indicate poorer prognosis.
- COVID-19-associated coronary thrombosis may have a higher burden; thromboprophylaxis is often indicated.
Conclusions:
- Management is primarily supportive, with no specific treatments beyond interventions for acute myocardial infarction.
- The role of early antiviral and monoclonal antibody therapies in preventing severe cardiovascular complications requires further investigation.
Abstract:
Cardiac injury associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with high fatality rates. We reviewed the literature on COVID-19-related cardiovascular complications to elucidate the putative causes, diagnosis, and management of cardiovascular complications of COVID-19. Putative causes of these cardiovascular complications include cytokine storm, myocarditis, coronary plaque rupture, hypercoagulability, stress cardiomyopathy or combinations thereof. Cardiac troponin, D-dimer, and N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide levels all provide prognostic information on COVID-19-related cardiovascular complications: elevated levels correlate with poorer prognosis. Coronary thrombosis due to COVID-19 may be associated with a higher thrombus burden than that from other causes. Hypercoagulability can be extremely challenging to treat, and in the absence of contra-indications, thromboprophylaxis is generally indicated in intensive care unit patients. With the exception of percutaneous coronary intervention for acute myocardial infarction, there are no specific treatments for COVID-19-related cardiovascular complications and management is primarily supportive. Whether antiviral therapies, coupled with monoclonal antibodies administered early in the course of COVID-19 illness will prevent severe cardiovascular complications remains to be seen.
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