Open Access

Cardiac involvement in patients with coronavirus pneumonia

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Date: 29 July 2021
Journal: European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing , Volume 20 , Issue Supplement_1
Authors: O. Tereshina , O. Germanova

ESC Journals

AbstractFunding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: None.

Background. New COVID-19 disease is well known by its primary damage of respiratory system. However, it is also possible to involve other organs and systems.

Purpose. To determine the cardiac involvement in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia.

Materials and methods. We performed echocardiography with speckle tracking in 48 patients. All of them had serologically verified COVID-19 pneumonia with lung involvement 5-60% on CT. None of them were treated by antimalarial drugs. 28 of them were men and 20 women, mean age - 45 ± 4,4 years old. We performed echocardiography in 1 month period from onset of the disease.

Results. Most of the patients (30 patients) had enlargement of right heart chambers. Despite of right ventricle enlargement, in none of the patients had reduced right ventricle function (TAPSE 22 ± 2 mm, right ventricle strain -21,2 ± 1,5%). The mean systolic pulmonary artery pressure was slightly elevated (38 ± 2 mm Hg).

Left ventricle was enlarged in 9 patients (with mean end diastolic volume 82 ± 5 ml/m2). In 25 of them, the ejection fraction was decreased (44 ± 4%). In all patients with COVID-19 pneumonia, the changes in circumferential and longitudinal strain were observed. Both parameters were decreased. The mean value of circumferential strain was -16,3 ± 1,9%. The longitudinal strain parameter was -14,2 ± 1,4%. 25 patients had enlargement of left atrium (>40ml/m2) and the reservoir strain of left atrium was decreased (-23,3 ± 1,5%)  in 29 of them.

After 2 months from the onset of the disease, we noticed the normalization of echocardiography data in all patients.

Nevertheless, we observed cardiac structural and functional changes in all patients, troponins levels were increased only in 12 patients.

Conclusion. We observed cardiac involvement in different degree in all of patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. Changes characterized by atriums and ventricles enlargement, and left ventricle contractile dysfunction.  Due to the fact that only part of the patients with COVID-19 with cardiac changes had elevated troponins, we believe that the mechanism of these pathological changes need further research.

About the contributors

O Tereshina

Role: Author

O Germanova

Role: Author