The cardiovascular system in acute infectious disease.

Myocarditis may result from a wide variety of acute infectious diseases, but electrocardiographic abnormalities interpreted as indicating myocarditis may arise from a number of other causes. Among the factors which may cause myocarditis are direct invasion by an organism, the toxic products of an organism, hypersensitivity to the products of an organism, drugs used in therapy, deficiency in nutrients, electrolyte imbalance, and, rarely, fever. Recently emphasis has been placed on the finding that circulatory failure in acute infectious diseases is often primarily peripheral, although heart failure due to myocarditis is not uncommon.