We report on two critically ill pediatric patients, aged 16 and 18 years, presenting with acute myopericarditis at a tertiary-care center in New Jersey, United States. Both patients had their severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccinations, tested negative for SARS-CoV-2, and shared only significant history of asthma. Clinical presentations were similar to acute onset chest pain that worsened with deep inspiration. One patient reported a history of vaping and escalating marijuana use several hours preceding presentation. Both patients had elevated troponin on admission and had ST-segment elevation on electrocardiogram (EKG), thus prompting admission to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) for cardiac monitoring. Myopericarditis has multiple etiologies and is a newly described rare complication of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. It can also occur as a complication of vaping and frequent marijuana drug use. Our paper highlights the importance of a detailed social and drug history in adolescents presenting with chest pain. The clinical characterization is necessary to promote better case definitions and the design of targeted interventions for this vulnerable group.
A 44-year-old Hispanic male with a past medical history of urethral stricture status post recent urologic dilation and foley insertion presented with bilateral lower extremity weakness 1 day postoperatively. The patient reported that immediately after the procedure he had no difficulty moving any of his extremities and was able to ambulate with ease. However, muscle weakness began that night on the same
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.