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Published on: February 4, 2018

Description of Treatment Strategies and Patient Outcomes for Hospitalized Patients With Lyme Carditis

Courtney A Montepara1,2, Alexandra L Gordon1,3, Jude M Gdula1,2

  • 1Duquesne University School of Pharmacy, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.

The Annals of Pharmacotherapy
|July 13, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Treatment for Lyme carditis showed low readmission rates across different antibiotic regimens. This study offers insights into expected outcomes and management for hospitalized patients with this Lyme disease complication.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Clinical Research

Background:

  • Lyme carditis is a serious cardiovascular complication of early disseminated Lyme disease.
  • Current treatment guidelines for Lyme carditis lack extensive supporting data.
  • Understanding treatment strategies and outcomes is crucial for effective patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe treatment strategies and outcomes for hospitalized patients diagnosed with Lyme carditis.
  • To evaluate the effectiveness of different antibiotic regimens in managing Lyme carditis.
  • To provide data on key clinical outcomes including readmission, length of stay, and mortality.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective descriptive study of adults admitted with Lyme carditis within a large hospital network.
  • Electronic health records were reviewed to gather data on treatment and outcomes.
  • Key outcomes included 30-day readmission, antibiotic duration, length of stay, cardiac pacing, heart block severity, PR interval changes, and mortality.

Main Results:

  • Sixty-two patients were analyzed, with most receiving ceftriaxone alone or followed by doxycycline.
  • Over 90% experienced heart block, with a significant portion requiring temporary or permanent pacemakers.
  • Low 30-day readmission rates (4.8%) and no observed mortality were reported.

Conclusions:

  • Antibiotic regimens for hospitalized Lyme carditis patients were associated with low 30-day readmission rates.
  • This study provides valuable data on outcomes and management timelines for Lyme carditis.
  • Findings support current treatment approaches and inform clinical decision-making for this condition.
Abstract

Keywords:
Lyme diseaseantibacterial agentscarditishospitalizationinpatients

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