Leonardo A Sechi1,2, Gianluca Colussi3, Luca Bulfone4, Gabriele Brosolo3, Andrea Da Porto4, Maddalena Peghin5, Vincenzo Patruno6, Carlo Tascini5, Cristiana Catena3. 1. Division of Internal Medicine (L.A.S., L.B., A.D.P.), Department of Medicine, University of Udine, 33100, Udine, Italy. sechi@uniud.it. 2. Department of Medicine, Clinica Medica, University of Udine, University Hospital, Building 8, 33100, Udine, Italy. sechi@uniud.it. 3. Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Unit (G.C., G.B., C.C.), University of Udine, 33100, Udine, Italy. 4. Division of Internal Medicine (L.A.S., L.B., A.D.P.), Department of Medicine, University of Udine, 33100, Udine, Italy. 5. Division of Infectious Diseases (M.P., C.T.), Department of Medicine, University of Udine, 33100, Udine, Italy. 6. Division of Pneumology (V.P.), Department of Medicine, University of Udine, 33100, Udine, Italy.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: COVID-19 has caused considerable morbidity and mortality worldwide and cardiac involvement has been reported during infection. The short-term cardiac outcome in survivors of COVID-19 is not known. OBJECTIVE: To examine the heart of patients who survived COVID-19 and to compare the cardiac outcome between patients who recovered from mild-to-moderate or severe illness. METHODS: With use of ECG and echocardiography, we examined the heart of 105 patients who had been hospitalized with COVID-19 and were consecutively recruited after hospital discharge while attending follow-up visits. Survivors of COVID-19 were compared with 105 matched controls. We also compared the cardiac outcome and lung ultrasound scan between COVID-19 patients who had mild-to-moderate or severe illness. RESULTS: Cardiac data were collected a median of 41 days from the first detection of COVID-19. Symptoms were present in a low percentage of patients. In comparison with matched controls, no considerable structural or functional differences were observed in the heart of survivors of COVID-19. Lung ultrasound scan detected significantly greater residual pulmonary involvement in COVID-19 patients who had recovered from severe than mild-to-moderate illness. No significant differences were detected in ECG tracings nor were found in the left and right ventricular function of patients who had recovered from mild-to-moderate or severe illness. CONCLUSIONS: In a short-term follow-up, no abnormalities were identified in the heart of survivors of COVID-19, nor cardiac differences were detected between patients who had different severity of illness. With the limitations of a cross-sectional study, these findings suggest that patients who recover from COVID-19 do not have considerable cardiac sequelae.
BACKGROUND:COVID-19 has caused considerable morbidity and mortality worldwide and cardiac involvement has been reported during infection. The short-term cardiac outcome in survivors of COVID-19 is not known. OBJECTIVE: To examine the heart of patients who survived COVID-19 and to compare the cardiac outcome between patients who recovered from mild-to-moderate or severe illness. METHODS: With use of ECG and echocardiography, we examined the heart of 105 patients who had been hospitalized with COVID-19 and were consecutively recruited after hospital discharge while attending follow-up visits. Survivors of COVID-19 were compared with 105 matched controls. We also compared the cardiac outcome and lung ultrasound scan between COVID-19patients who had mild-to-moderate or severe illness. RESULTS: Cardiac data were collected a median of 41 days from the first detection of COVID-19. Symptoms were present in a low percentage of patients. In comparison with matched controls, no considerable structural or functional differences were observed in the heart of survivors of COVID-19. Lung ultrasound scan detected significantly greater residual pulmonary involvement in COVID-19patients who had recovered from severe than mild-to-moderate illness. No significant differences were detected in ECG tracings nor were found in the left and right ventricular function of patients who had recovered from mild-to-moderate or severe illness. CONCLUSIONS: In a short-term follow-up, no abnormalities were identified in the heart of survivors of COVID-19, nor cardiac differences were detected between patients who had different severity of illness. With the limitations of a cross-sectional study, these findings suggest that patients who recover from COVID-19 do not have considerable cardiac sequelae.
Authors: Matthew S Durstenfeld; Michael J Peluso; J Daniel Kelly; Sithu Win; Shreya Swaminathan; Danny Li; Victor M Arechiga; Victor Zepeda; Kaiwen Sun; Shirley Shao; Christopher Hill; Mireya I Arreguin; Scott Lu; Rebecca Hoh; Viva Tai; Ahmed Chenna; Brandon C Yee; John W Winslow; Christos J Petropoulos; John Kornak; Timothy J Henrich; Jeffrey N Martin; Steven G Deeks; Priscilla Y Hsue Journal: JCI Insight Date: 2022-05-23
Authors: Mohammad Said Ramadan; Lorenzo Bertolino; Rosa Zampino; Emanuele Durante-Mangoni Journal: Clin Microbiol Infect Date: 2021-06-23 Impact factor: 13.310