Madison Area Lyme Support Group

Lyme disease is the most reported tick-borne illness in North America. Lyme carditis (LC) is an early-disseminated manifestation of Lyme disease, most commonly presenting as symptomatic high-degree atrioventricular block (AVB) which resolves with appropriate antibiotic therapy. However, long-term outcomes of treated LC have not previously been described. We present a series of 7 patients (median 28 years, 6 male) with serologically confirmed LC treated with a standard protocol developed at our center including antibiotics and pre-discharge stress test to assess AV node stability. At a mean follow-up of 20.8 months, all patients were asymptomatic, had resumed normal activities, and were free of conduction abnormalities. None required permanent pacing. Our study supports avoidance of permanent pacing for LC if conduction is stable at discharge.

_________________

**Comment**

These patients were followed for a minimum of 12 months after hospital discharge and had no heart symptoms.  The researchers state there is no protocol for ongoing monitoring of these discharged patients that that long-term follow-up should be further explored.  I couldn’t agree more.

For more:

• https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2021/06/01/lyme-carditis-2021-update/
• https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/12/26/three-deaths-associated-with-lyme-carditis/
• https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2022/02/21/lyme-carditis-case/
• https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/12/09/study-identifies-189-children-with-lyme-carditis/
• https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/01/12/broad-range-of-presentations-for-lyme-carditis-cases/
• https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/11/04/suspect-lyme-carditis-start-empiric-antibiotics-case-report-suggest-and-lyme-carditis-is-not-rare/
• https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/09/17/lyme-carditis-heart-block-other-complications-of-ld/