COVID-19 Vaccine Cardiac Complications: A Case Series on Implications of Marijuana in Adolescents With Myopericarditis

Abstract

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.