Transient ST Segment Elevation in a Patient with COVID-19 and a Normal Transthoracic Echocardiogram
  • Tareq Tuaima
    King Abdullah Medical Complex, Ministry of Health, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
  • Abdulhalim Jamal Kinsara
    Ministry of National Guard-Health Affairs, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, COM-WR, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
  • Amtalkaliq Alrajawi
    King Abdullah Medical Complex, Ministry of Health, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
  • Hassan Allam
    King Abdullah Medical Complex, Ministry of Health, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
  • Shadwan Alfakih
    King Abdullah Medical Complex, Ministry of Health, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Keywords

ST segment elevation, COVID-19, echocardiogram

Abstract

The effect of COVID-19 on the cardiovascular system still needs to be clarified. Patients can develop a spectrum of cardiac diseases, from mild myocarditis to acute coronary syndrome with an impaired systolic fraction. We describe an interesting case of transient ST segment elevation in a COVID-19 patient admitted to ICU for severe respiratory distress syndrome. During his stay in ICU, the patient developed transient ST segment elevation in inferior-lateral leads which promptly resolved without requiring any additional invasive and/or pharmacological treatment.
Transthoracic echocardiography showed a preserved ejection fraction without any regional abnormalities and the rise in enzyme biomarkers was insignificant. The case highlights the importance of avoiding invasive procedures in this subset of patients to reduce both patient complications and medical staff exposure. Careful evaluation including echocardiogram and second-line examinations should be performed before invasive and aggressive treatment is undertaken.

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    Published: 2020-09-07
    Issue: 2020: Vol 7 No 10 (view)

    How to cite:
    1.
    Tuaima T, Kinsara AJ, Alrajawi A, Allam H, Alfakih S. Transient ST Segment Elevation in a Patient with COVID-19 and a Normal Transthoracic Echocardiogram. EJCRIM 2020;7 doi:10.12890/2020_001913.

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