Patient: Female, 48-year-old Final Diagnosis: COVID 19 infection • severe idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura Symptoms: Bruising • headcahe • hemoptysis • nausea Medication: — Clinical Procedure: — Specialty: Hematology • Infectious Diseases Objective: Rare coexistence of disease or pathology Background: COVID-19 is associated with many hematological manifestations, including lymphopenia and thrombosis. There have been rare occasions in which thrombocytopenia has been reported as the sole clinical presentation of COVID-19. Case Report: This is the case report of a 48-year-old Hispanic female patient with COVID-19 presenting as severe isolated thrombocytopenia. The patient presented to the Emergency Department with hemoptysis, spontaneous bruising, and excessive vaginal bleeding and also reported a recent flu-like illness. On examination, she was found to have bilateral subconjunctival hemorrhage, diffuse oral ulcers, epigastric abdominal tenderness, and ecchymosis on her chest, with scattered petechiae and palpable purpura on her lower limbs. Laboratory results were significant for a platelet count of 0×10 9 and an immature platelet fraction of 34.1%. Owing to clinical suspicion, the patient was tested for COVID-19, and her test result was positive. She was treated with intravenous immunoglobulin, prednisone, rituximab, vitamin C, and zinc. Upon achieving hemodynamic stability, she was discharged to follow up with a hematologist in the outpatient setting. Conclusions: Hematological consequences of COVID-19 are becoming more prevalent. The mechanism behind this manifestation could be bone marrow failure, formation of platelet autoantibodies, or consumptive coagulopathy. These critical manifestations are necessary to manage, especially in severe forms like in our patient. Steroids and rituximab combination therapy have proven to be the most effective regimen.
Introduction. Hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES) is a rare disease characterized by unexplained peripheral eosinophilia along with evidence of end-organ damage. Cardiac involvement is the most life-threatening consequence and is frequently underreported with a prevalence of around 5%. The gold standard for diagnosis is myocardial biopsy, but less-invasive imaging such as cardiac MR (CMR) has been frequently used to help with the diagnosis. We are presenting a unique case of a patient diagnosed with Eosinophilic myocarditis (EM) supported by CMR with rapid improvement after starting steroid treatment. Case Presentation. A 67-year-old African American female with extensive cardiovascular disease history presenting with chest pain was diagnosed with EM secondary to hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES). Lab workup revealed absolute eosinophils of 4.70 × 10 3 / μ L (normal 0 – 0.75 × 10 3 / μ L ). Transthoracic echocardiography showed mild reduction in left ventricular function and a large obliterating thrombus in the right ventricular apex. CMR showed increased signal intensity at the left ventricular and right ventricular apex, consistent with myocardial edema. Subsequently, the patient was placed on dexamethasone 10 mg daily with significant symptomatic improvement. Discussion. EM is a rare complication of hypereosinophilic syndrome and can mimic common cardiovascular diseases such as acute exacerbation of heart failure or myocardial infarction. A high index of suspicion is essential especially in the setting of suggestive lab workup. CMR is a promising noninvasive and cost-effective alternative for myocardial biopsy in diagnosis.
Conduction abnormalities following transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) are common. High-grade atrioventricular block (AVB) and new-onset left bundle branch block remain the most reported. These often require the placement of a permanent pacemaker (PPM). His-bundle (HB) pacing is increasingly being utilized as the preferred mode of ventricular pacing due to its more physiologic ventricular activation. In this case report, we present a case of a patient who developed loss of HB capture and experienced an increase in the local right ventricular (RV) capture threshold after TAVR that led to unrecognized intermittent loss of ventricular capture and symptoms. An 80-year-old man with severe aortic stenosis presented with symptomatic bradycardia due to typical atrial flutter (AFL) with a high-grade AVB and an underlying right bundle branch block. He underwent placement of a dual-chamber PPM (Medtronic, Inc., Minneapolis, MN, USA) with a HB pacing lead. HB mapping demonstrated a normal H-V interval, and the lead was fixated with non-selective HB capture. The R-waves measured 2.8 mV, the pacing impedance was 544 Ω, and the non-selective HB and local RV capture threshold was 0.5 V @ 1 ms. He underwent AFL ablation, and his atrial leads were normal. He subsequently underwent successful TAVR with a 29-mm Sapien 3 valve (Edwards Lifesciences, Irvine, CA, USA). Post-TAVR, PPM interrogation showed a loss of HB capture with a left bundle paced QRS morphology. Following discharge, he presented with stroke-like symptoms and was noted to have intermittent loss of RV capture with complete heart block (CHB) and a slow ventricular escape rhythm. PPM interrogation revealed an elevated pacing threshold, and his RV output was gradually increased to a maximum output of 7.5 V @ 1.5 ms. He also developed a fever and was found to have enterococcal bacteremia. Transesophageal echocardiography demonstrated vegetations on his prosthetic valve and pacemaker lead, without a perivalvular abscess. He underwent explantation of the pacemaker system and insertion of a temporary PPM. After intravenous antibiotic therapy with negative blood cultures, he underwent re-implantation of a new right-sided dual-chamber PPM, and an RV pacing lead was placed into the RV outflow tract. HB pacing is becoming the preferred mode of physiologic ventricular pacing. This case illustrates the potential risks of the TAVR procedure in patients with existing HB pacing leads. We observed a loss of HB capture and the development of CHB due to traumatic injury to the HB distal to the HB pacing lead after TAVR placement together with an increase in the local RV capture threshold. The depth of TAVR placement is an important aspect of the TAVR procedure that determines the risk of developing CHB and may also affect the HB and local RV pacing thresholds post-procedure.
Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, a higher incidence of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) has been reported but rates of bystander CPR usage have not been studied. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, bystanders may be reluctant to perform CPR due to risk of infection and due to social isolation measures, there may be less bystanders present to perform CPR.Objective: The purpose of the study was to study rates of bystander CPR usage in out-of hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) during the COVID-19 pandemic and to evaluate for any association between bystander CPR usage and increasing COVID-19 infection during 2020 and 2021. Methods: We performed a retrospective study of the Northeast Georgia Cardiac Arrest Registry to compare bystander CPR usage for all patients presenting to Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville, Georgia with OHCA from 14 surrounding counties of northeast Georgia from March 2019 to December 2021. Results: A total of 18,421 and 18,678 COVID-19 infections were reported in Hall County between Mar-Dec 2020 and Jan-Dec 2021, respectively. A total of 228 cardiac arrests occurred in 2019, 273 in 2020, and 268 in 2021. Overall bystander CPR usage was 44% in 2019, 43% in 2020, and 47% in 2021, p = .64. Before COVID-19 the bystander CPR usage was 43% and 46% during, p = 0.44. There was no significant correlation between bystander CPR usage and COVID-19 infections in Hall County (r = 0.06, p = 0.79). Multivariable logistic regression model demonstrated that initial shockable rhythm (p < 0. 001) was the strongest predicator of bystander CPR (table 1). Conclusions: Bystander CPR usage in OHCA in the northeast Georgia region remained constant despite the COVID-19 pandemic. There were no significant differences in bystander CPR usage in OHCA prior to or during COVID-19 pandemic. Additional studies are needed to evaluate for possible variables which may be contributing to initial shockable rhythm as the strongest predicator of bystander CPR.
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