Acute COVID-19-Associated Cardiac Arrhythmia: A Case Series and Literature Review
Tsering Dolkar1, Meet J Patel1, Fnu Jitidhar1
1Internal Medicine, OBH Interfaith Medical Center, Brooklyn, USA.
Insights
This case series highlights new-onset cardiac arrhythmias, including atrial fibrillation (AF) and atrial flutter (AFlutter), in patients with acute COVID-19 infection. Two of three patients with COVID-19-associated arrhythmias converted to sinus rhythm after treatment.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Internal Medicine
Background:
- Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by SARS-CoV-2, is a significant global health concern.
- Cardiac arrhythmias, such as atrial fibrillation (AF) and atrial flutter (AFlutter), can complicate various medical conditions.
- The relationship between acute COVID-19 infection and the development of new-onset cardiac arrhythmias requires further investigation.
Abstract:
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a highly contagious infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). We report two cases of COVID-19-associated atrial fibrillation (AF) in two elderly females and a case of atrial flutter (AFlutter) in a middle-aged male patient. We believe this case series will contribute to the literature on new-onset AF and AFlutter in patients with acute COVID-19 infection. This case series illustrates various case scenarios of patients developing cardiac arrhythmia with acute COVID-19 infection without any prior history or other explicable cause of AF/AFlutter. The exact mechanism behind COVID-19 infection leading to AF or AFlutter is still unknown. Of the three patients reported, two converted to sinus rhythm following medical management, and one did not convert to sinus rhythm despite medical treatment.
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