Archive for the ‘Heart Issues’ Category

Lyme Can Affect the Heart in Complicated Ways

https://www.lymedisease.org/baranchuk-lyme-heart-complications/

Lyme disease can affect the heart in complicated ways

By Dr. Adrian Baranchuk, Dec. 3, 2021

Lyme disease is a tick-borne infection caused by bacteria known as Borrelia burgdorferi. Lyme carditis is an early manifestation of Lyme disease that can occur two to six weeks after the tick bite.

Approximately five to 10 per cent of patients presenting to family doctors’ clinics or emergency departments with symptoms of Lyme disease may develop Lyme carditis.

The prevalence of Lyme disease in Canada continues to increase year after year. Nearly 2,700 people were diagnosed with Lyme disease in 2019, but the number of reported cases may not reflect the actual number of cases.

How Lyme carditis affects the heart

Lyme carditis most commonly manifests as high-degree atrioventricular block: a complete shut-down of the electrical system of the heart that can evolve rapidly over minutes, hours or days, producing severe symptoms like fainting, extreme dizziness or sudden death.

Less frequently, other serious cardiovascular manifestations may be present, such as:

  • sinus node disease, marked by alterations to the heart’s “motor” or natural pacemaker,
  • atrial fibrillation, which is a disorganization of the cardiac rhythm that increases the risk of stroke,
  • bundle branch blocks, or lesions in the distal cables of the heart that can interrupt electrical impulses, and
  • myocarditis, pericarditis or endocarditis, which are different degrees of inflammation of the layers of the cardiac walls.

Some of these manifestations can be so severe that total cardiac dysfunction may rapidly occur, and the patient may die despite medical efforts. Sometimes a heart transplant is the only option.

Diagnosing and treating Lyme carditis

The initial symptoms of Lyme disease can be mistaken for other common infections or allergic reactions. Delayed diagnosis and delayed initiation of proper treatment can lead to serious Lyme disease presentations including Lyme carditis in all its forms.

We need ongoing education at all levels (medical and nursing schools, community, governments) to close the gap in knowledge and ensure all participants in the health-care system aware of this preventable condition.

The good news is that prompt diagnosis and appropriate antibiotic therapy leads to a much better prognosis. Lyme carditis responds very effectively to treatment, completely eliminating the cardiac manifestations, with a very favourable prognosis in both short- and long-term followup. We now know that when antibiotics are used according to guidelines, the prognosis two years after the infection reveals no residual disease in the heart.

It is important to remember that most heart conduction abnormalities caused by Lyme carditis resolve with appropriate antibiotic therapy without requiring the implantation of permanent pacemakers. As most patients presenting with Lyme carditis are young and otherwise healthy, any medical strategy that could prevent the need to implant a pacemaker for the rest of their lives is welcomed.

Confirming Lyme disease in the age of COVID-19

The current COVID-19 pandemic is posing a new challenge in the diagnosis of Lyme disease. The two conditions have a lot of overlapping symptoms, such as fever, malaise, generalized pain and lack of energy. During these times, it’s advisable to rule out COVID-19 first before embarking on any other test.

Asking focused questions about personal lifestyle may help guiding the diagnosis of Lyme disease. Some key questions include:

Skin examinations and ECGs

A bull’s-eye-shaped rash is a characteristic symptom of Lyme disease, but it isn’t present in all patients. Some have a less defined rash.

Thorough dermatological examination can clarify difficult cases. This happened in my clinic recently, when a nurse practitioner decided to run a full skin examination and discovered typical bull’s-eye rashes on the patient’s back.

Once the diagnosis is suspected, cardiovascular symptoms such as dizziness, palpitations, fainting or near fainting, chest pain and shortness of breath should be investigated. If the patient reports any of these symptoms, along with any other factors suggesting Lyme disease, a 12-lead ECG (the simple and inexpensive electrocardiogram) should be performed.

Quite recently, a team from the United States did 12-lead ECG to a large series of pediatric patients presenting to the emergency department with high-suspicion of Lyme disease, and discovered that nearly 30 per cent of them had some conduction disturbance. Any evidence of electrical disturbance should prompt admission in hospital for a course of intravenous antibiotics while waiting the results of serological tests.

Suspicious Index in Lyme Carditis

From the other perspective, any patient presenting with unexpected high-degree atrioventricular block (full electrical shut down of the electrical system of the heart), the way to test for Lyme carditis is by running a risk score called SILC (Suspicious Index in Lyme Carditis), which was developed at Queen’s University and is now used worldwide.

SILC score is based on the risk factor acronym COSTAR (Constitutional symptoms, Outdoor activities/endemic region, Sex male, Tick bite, Age < 50, Rash), which may help in determining the likelihood of early Lyme carditis.

We need to keep teaching and learning about Lyme carditis. In addition to ongoing education, curricula in medical and nursing schools should be updated immediately to be sure that all new health-care providers are trained in the rapid recognition of this condition. When to order serological tests, how to check for cardiovascular symptoms and the value of the 12-lead ECG are all important steps in the management of Lyme carditis.

The effort to eradicate Lyme disease should involve physicians and nurses, patients and families, rigorous science and political decisions for sound policy implementation.The Conversation

Dr. Adrian Baranchuk is a cardiologist and Professor of Medicine, Queen’s University, Ontario Canada. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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Category:

Heart Issues, Lyme, Testing

American Heart Association Publishes Data Doctor Claims is the ‘Death Toll’ For COVID Jabs

https://healthimpactnews.com/2021/american-heart-association-journal-publishes-data-that-uk-medical-doctor-claims-are-proof-that-covid-19-vaccines-are-murder/

American Heart Association Journal Publishes Data that UK Medical Doctor Claims are “Proof” that COVID-19 Vaccines are “Murder”

Nov. 23, 2021

by Brian Shilhavy
Editor, Health Impact News

The American Heart Association Journal, Circulation, has just published an abstract on mRNA COVID-19 shots that UK medical doctor Vernon Coleman has stated: Finally! Medical Proof the Covid Jab is “Murder”

Here is the Abstract:

Abstract

Our group has been using the PLUS Cardiac Test (GD Biosciences, Inc, Irvine, CA) a clinically validated measurement of multiple protein biomarkers which generates a score predicting the 5 yr risk (percentage chance) of a new Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS). The score is based on changes from the norm of multiple protein biomarkers including IL-16, a proinflammatory cytokine, soluble Fas, an inducer of apoptosis, and Hepatocyte Growth Factor (HGF)which serves as a marker for chemotaxis of T-cells into epithelium and cardiac tissue, among other markers. Elevation above the norm increases the PULS score, while decreases below the norm lowers the PULS score. The score has been measured every 3-6 months in our patient population for 8 years. Recently, with the advent of the mRNA COVID 19 vaccines (vac) by Moderna and Pfizer, dramatic changes in the PULS score became apparent in most patients. This report summarizes those results. A total of 566 pts, aged 28 to 97, M:F ratio 1:1 seen in a preventive cardiology practice had a new PULS test drawn from 2 to 10 weeks following the 2nd COVID shot and was compared to the previous PULS score drawn 3 to 5 months previously pre- shot.

  • Baseline IL-16 increased from 35=/-20 above the norm to 82 =/- 75 above the norm post-vac
  • sFas increased from 22+/- 15 above the norm to 46=/-24 above the norm post-vac
  • HGF increased from 42+/-12 above the norm to 86+/-31 above the norm post-vac

These changes resulted in an increase of the PULS score from 11% 5 yr ACS risk to 25% 5 yr ACS risk. At the time of this report, these changes persist for at least 2.5 months post second dose of vac. We conclude that the mRNA vacs dramatically increase inflammation on the endothelium and T cell infiltration of cardiac muscle and may account for the observations of increased thrombosis, cardiomyopathy, and other vascular events following vaccination.

Here is the video and Dr. Vernon Coleman’s comments:

It’s the 22nd November 2021 and this is the moment when the jabbing has to stop.

A couple of hours ago Darren Smith, the editor of the excellent The Light Paper, sent me a paper from the medical journal Circulation which proves that the covid-19 jabbing experiment has to stop today. I believe that any doctor or nurse who gives one of the mRNA covid jabs after today will in due course be struck off the appropriate register and arrested.

The journal Circulation is a well-respected publication. It’s 71-years-old, its articles are peer reviewed and in one survey it was rated the world’s no 1 journal in the cardiac and cardiovascular system category.

I’m going to quote the final sentence of the abstract which appears at the beginning of the article. This is all I, you – or anyone else – needs to know.

`We conclude that the mRNA vacs dramatically increase inflammation on the endothelium and T cell infiltration of cardiac muscle and may account for the observations of increased thrombosis, cardiomyopathy and other vascular events following vaccination.’

That’s it. That’s the death bell for the covid-19 mRNA jabs.

The endothelium is a layer of cells lining blood vessels and lymphatic vessels. T cells are a type of white cell.

We always knew these jabs were experimental. My video in December 2020, just under a year ago, warned about these specific risks. I read out a list of possible adverse events published officially by the American Government.

But now we have the proof of the link.

The mRNA jab is, remember, known not to stop people catching covid. And it is known not to stop people spreading it. I don’t believe anyone disputes these facts.

And yet vast numbers of deaths and serious injuries have occurred among people who have been jabbed. Look at the item entitled ‘Updated: how many are the vaccines killing?’ on my websites.

Now we have the evidence to stop the jabbing programmes.

In the study quoted in Circulation, a total of 566 patients aged 28 to 97 were tested. They were equally divided among men and women.

‘At the time of this report,’ says the author, ‘these changes persist for at least 2.5 months post second dose of vaccine.’

At the very least, the use of these jabs must stop now. Immediately, until more long-term tests are done.

If there were any journalists left in the mainstream media, this news would be lead item on all TV and radio programmes and be on the front pages of all newspapers.

Thank heavens for free speech platforms such as BNT which enables me to bring you this news.

I’ve said for a year that this jab was an experiment – certain to kill and injure.

We’ve always known that to experiment on people without their full consent and understanding – after disclosing all the risks and potential side effects – is a crime.

Now the evidence exists that must stop this experiment.

If the covid jab experiment continues after today then we know for absolute sure that this is not a medical treatment, it is a cull.

Please share this video immediately with everyone you know.

Thank you.

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Category:

Activism, Heart Issues, Inflammation, vaccines, Viruses

Mitral Valve Dysfunction from Lyme Carditis

https://danielcameronmd.com/mitral-valve-dysfunction-lyme-carditis/

Mitral valve dysfunction from Lyme carditis

Man being examined with stethescope for mitral valve problems from Lyme carditis.

Lyme carditis is an uncommon but important manifestation of Lyme disease. In their study, Malik and colleagues describe the case of a young man with Lyme carditis with left ventricular dysfunction and valvular involvement occurring one week after a tick bite. [1]

By

The 22-year-old man was admitted to the hospital with cardiac problems. He suffered from morbid obesity and  complained of chest pain and lightheadedness for several days. During his examination, he was sweaty with a fast pulse of 115. He also reported having an erythema migrans (EM) rash.

Clinicians initially suspected the patient had non-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and prescribed intravenous heparin, the authors explain in the case report, “Early Onset Lyme Myopericarditis With Left Ventricular Dysfunction and Mitral Regurgitation.”

“Echocardiogram was done which showed a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of 49% with mild diffuse hypokinesis, and moderate to severe mitral regurgitation,” the authors wrote.

Test results were positive for Lyme disease and the man was treated with intravenous ceftriaxone.

“If left untreated, Lyme carditis can lead to acute heart failure and sudden cardiac death thus prompt diagnosis and treatment are essential in management.”

“A repeat echocardiogram was performed, which showed an improvement of the previously visualized mitral regurgitation and normalization of LVEF,” the authors wrote.

The patient had a marked improvement in his symptoms and resolution of his rash. He was discharged home with a 3-week course of oral doxycycline.

“On a 1-month follow-up, patient remains asymptomatic and is back to his previous baseline,” according to the authors.

Cardiac manifestations in Lyme disease typically occur 1 to 2 months after the onset of infection, the authors wrote.  “In our patient, however, Lyme carditis was seen a little over 1 week after known tick exposure.”

A growing number of cardiac manifestations due to Lyme disease have been described. “Clinical manifestations of Lyme carditis include arrhythmias, conduction abnormalities, myopericarditis, ventricular dysfunction, and acute heart failure,” the authors wrote.

“Left ventricular dysfunction, as seen in our patient, has been reported to have an incidence of 0.5%.”

Valvular dysfunction due to Lyme carditis is rare. “To date, about 7 cases of valvular involvement in Lyme carditis have been reported making this phenomenon exceedingly rare.”

“If there is a high suspicion for Lyme carditis, empiric treatment with antibiotics should be started while the initial evaluation is pending.”

Death from Lyme carditis is rare. “A case series published by the CDC reported 3 individual deaths that were attributed to Lyme disease by postmortem examination indicating that lack of treatment can lead to fatalities.”

Shen and colleagues described the death of a 25-year-old man with Lyme carditis. “He presented with syncope and second-degree Mobitz type 2 heart block, as well as disseminated erythema migrans rash.”²

The patient received a temporary pacemaker and was discharged after 4 days of intravenous ceftriaxone.

“The patient returned home to a different state and reportedly died at home about 1 week after discharge.” There was no autopsy report or records to determine the cause of death.

Related Articles:

Podcast: Young man dies from Lyme carditis
Lyme carditis diagnosis: 18 cases
Patients can die when Lyme carditis is not treated

References:
  1. Malik MB, Baluch A, Adhikari S, Quraeshi S, Rao S. Early Onset Lyme Myopericarditis With Left Ventricular Dysfunction and Mitral Regurgitation. J Investig Med High Impact Case Rep. Jan-Dec 2021;9:23247096211045267. doi:10.1177/23247096211045267
  2. Shen RV, McCarthy CA, Smith RP. Lyme Carditis in Hospitalized Children and Adults, a Case Series. Open Forum Infect Dis. Jul 2021;8(7):ofab140. doi:10.1093/ofid/ofab140

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Category:

Heart Issues, Lyme, research, Treatment

Why Are We Accepting Myocarditis as an Acceptable Side Effect for COVID Shots? 2,433 Fetal Deaths: Study Shows Shots Not Safe for Pregnancy. Video Montage of Athletes ‘Dropping like Flies’ Due to Heart Problems After Jab

**UPDATE Feb. 17, 2022**

And this telling video details how myocarditis concerns are growing. Jefferey Jaxen goes through the VAERS data as well.  Coroner states they are dealing with multiple cases.

https://healthimpactnews.com/2021/dr-linda-wastila-why-are-we-accepting-myocarditis-as-an-acceptable-side-effect-for-covid-vaccines/

Dr. Linda Wastila: Why are we Accepting Myocarditis as an Acceptable Side Effect for COVID Vaccine

Nov. 7, 2021

by Brian Shilhavy
Editor, Health Impact News

Our most-read article last week, by far, was the article on Senator Ron Johnson’s Roundtable discussion held in Washington D.C. where doctors, scientists, and COVID-19 vaccine injured victims met to discuss COVID-19 “vaccine” mandates.

The entire recording of this event is over 3.5 hours long, and so I have been watching it and breaking up the speakers into individual videos to make it easier to watch this truly historical event that happened at our nation’s capital last week.

10 of these powerful presentations were published with that article last week, and you can watch them here:

One of the most powerful presentations was given by Dr. Linda Wastila, who is a PhD professor and heads the Department of Pharmaceutical Health Services Research at the University of Maryland. (Source.)

In her initial presentation, which we published last week, Dr. Wastila stated:

We are citizens who have done our civic duty, but when we suffer serious adverse effects, we’re left high and dry by the FDA, the CDC, the NIH and medical professionals.

We are scientists alarmed by the toxic environment in academia and scientific publishing.

We are military leaders concerned about vaccine safety in the armed services.

We are clinicians who want to treat patients harmed by the vaccines but whose practices are limited by our employers and professional boards.

And we are lawyers and patient advocates seeking help for our injured clients and their families.

We are the people you haven’t heard from.

And we have nothing, absolutely nothing to personally gain from being here. Indeed, we have everything to lose, including our jobs, our titles, our livelihoods.

But we don’t intend to go away until we see some real change.

Dr. Wastila later in the meeting gave another presentation about VAERS (Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System) and the “science of vaccine safety.”

Dr. Wastila is very critical of the CDC for using sound bytes with the public and stating that COVID-19 vaccines are “safe.”

The statement that everyone by now has heard come out of the mouth of CDC Director Rochelle Walensky many times, and which is fraudulently printed on the CDC website, is:

Millions of people in the United States have received COVID-19 vaccines under the most intense safety monitoring in U.S. history.

Dr. Wastila states:

The impression is the system is so finely tuned that even the rarest needle in the haystack will be found.

I am afraid that is just not the case.

Now remember, the reason Senator Johnson invited Dr. Wastila is because drugs and drug safety is her area of expertise.

She states that the process to determine if there are problems that need to be addressed based on reported side effects in VAERS is a very slow process, and she uses myocarditis as an example.

It took four months into Israel’s national vaccine campaign to recognize this side effect. That’s besides the fact that myocarditis generally strikes within days of dosing, particularly the second dose.

So officials were experiencing this side effect for months before officials recognized the vaccine as the cause.

This delay in detecting, researching, and acknowledging side effects is normal.

And it is devastating.

The patients at this meeting today know that devastation first hand.

But it’s also devastating because unless you first recognize harms soon after they occur, you can’t use that knowledge in the next person about to get the vaccine.

I am stunned when I hear people dismiss myocarditis as an acceptable side effect, especially for young people.

Because myocarditis is life-threatening, and a life-disabling condition.

As I reported last week, the CDC admits that myocarditis is caused by COVID-19 vaccines, but they dismiss it as “rare.”

This is what is currently published on the CDC website:

Myocarditis and pericarditis after COVID-19 vaccination are rare. As of October 27, 2021, VAERS has received 1,784 reports of myocarditis or pericarditis among people ages 30 and younger who received COVID-19 vaccine. Most cases have been reported after mRNA COVID-19 vaccination (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna), particularly in male adolescents and young adults. Through follow-up, including medical record reviews, CDC and FDA have confirmed 1,005 reports of myocarditis or pericarditis. CDC and its partners are investigating these reports to assess whether there is a relationship to COVID-19 vaccination.

Why are we continuing to inject children with these shots? Under what possible logic or ethics is 1,784 reports of myocarditis or pericarditis among people under the age of 30 acceptable?

There are far more reports of myocarditis or pericarditis following COVID-19 shots than following ALL vaccines for the past 30+ years recorded in VAERS.

And we know this is only a fraction of the actual cases because VAERS is under-reported, and many of these cases have already led to deaths.

The CDC and FDA have never conducted a study to determine what this under-reported factor is, but independent scientists have, and we have previously published the analysis conducted by Dr. Jessica Rose, who has determined that a conservative under-reported factor would be X41.

That would put the truer picture of young people suffering from myocarditis closer to 74,928 cases, and now they have just begun to inject 5 to 11 year olds.

Watch Dr. Linda Wastila’s presentation. This is our Rumble and Bitchute channels.

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Myocarditis-induced Sudden Death after BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 Vaccination in Korea: Case Report Focusing on Histopathological Findings

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More Hospitalizations For “Vaccinated” Kids Than From COVID

In Pfizer’s FDA briefing document using unverified and misleading math, they admit there may be more hospitalizations among children for myocarditis — than from COVID.

“Under Scenario 3 (lowest incidence), the model predicts more excess hospitalizations due to vaccine-related myocarditis/pericarditis compared to prevented hospitalizations due to COVID-19 in males and in both sexes combined,” states Pfizer in page 33 of the document.

  • A preprint from University of California Davis found that “for boys 12-15 without medical comorbidities receiving their second mRNA vaccination dose, the rate of CAE [cardiac adverse event ] is 3.7 to 6.1 times higher than their 120-day COVID-19 hospitalization risk as of August 21, 2021″
  • A recent study of the Danish population published in the Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal found that “the incidence of myopericarditis after COVID-19 vaccination among males appears higher than reports from the United States“
  • If you take the 128 reported vaccine deaths among those ages 12-24 as a baseline, and utilize Kirsch, Rose, and Crawford’s estimate that VAERS undercounts fatal reactions by a factor of 41, that would amount to 5,248 deaths
  • There are essentially zero COVID deaths for healthy children
  • More than half of children likely already had COVID
  • There are successful treatments available  Source

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https://healthimpactnews.com/2021/2433-dead-babies-in-vaers-as-another-study-shows-mrna-shots-not-safe-for-pregnant-women/  Video Here

2,433 Dead Babies in VAERS as Another Study Shows mRNA Shots Not Safe for Pregnant Women

by Brian Shilhavy
Editor, Health Impact News

Excerpts:

Last month (October, 2021) the New England Journal of Medicine admitted that the original study used to justify the CDC and the FDA in recommending the shots to pregnant women was flawed. (Source.)  Since then, researchers in New Zealand have conducted a new study on the original data, and concluded:

A re-analysis of these figures indicates a cumulative incidence of spontaneous abortion ranging from 82% (104/127) to 91% (104/114), 7–8 times higher than the original authors’ results. (Source.)

And yet, the CDC and FDA still continue to recommend the shots for pregnant women….

Shilhavy points out the fact that Dr. Jessica Rose has given a conservative estimate that VAERS reporting is under-reported by a factor of X41, which means…..

There have probably been at least 99,753 fetal deaths following COVID-19 injections so far.

(See link for article and video of fetal adverse reactions)

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https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/11/12-year-old-child-dies-two-days-taking-pfizer-vaccine-germany-officials-pull-back-mandatory-shots-children/

12-Year-Old Child Dies Two Days After Taking Pfizer Vaccine in Germany – Officials Pull Back on Mandatory Shots for Children

By Jim Hoft
Published November 9, 2021

The district of Cuxhaven, Germany confirmed on Wednesday, November 3, 2021, that a 12-year-old child died two days after taking the Pfizer vaccine. Police are investigating and an autopsy was ordered due to the short interval between vaccination and death.  The result of the autopsy is still pending and is expected to be released this week at the earliest.

“The current status of the autopsy suggests a connection,” Kirsten von der Lieth, press spokeswoman for the district said about the vaccine and the child’s death.

(See link for article)

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https://healthimpactnews.com/2021/athletes-around-the-world-are-dropping-like-flies-with-heart-problems/  Video Here

Athletes Around the World are Dropping Like Flies with Heart Problems

by Brian Shilhavy
Editor, Health Impact News

Someone has put together a video montage showing the sheer volume of athletes around the world dropping like flies with heart problems, and the corporate media calls this a “mystery.”  How many people ever heard of the word “myocarditis” prior to the COVID shots?  But don’t blame it on the “vaccines.” That would be politically incorrect.

Mark Payne in the UK is keeping a fast growing list of these stories here.

This is on our Bitchute and Rumble channels.  (Go to link for video)

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https://www.activistpost.com/2021/11/politics-is-a-total-sham-aaron-rodgers-destroys-both-parties-champions-bodily-autonomy-becomes-un-cancelable.  Video Here

Aaron Rodgers Champions Bodily Autonomy

Meanwhile, athletes like Green Bay Packer Aaron Rodgers are crucified for not getting jabbed. It doesn’t matter to critics that he’s allergic to two of the shots and the third one wasn’t available due to being temporarily pulled for clotting issues at the time players were getting vaccinated.

He spoke with doctors and instead chose an immunization protocol that took multiple months to complete.

The article points out that it must have worked as Rodgers looked completely healthy despite having COVID-19.

Best parts of the interview:

“How about we teach people how to be healthy?

You have a right to make a decision about your body. That should be an unalienable right for all people to make an educated decision based on what they think is best for them.”  Aaron Rodgers

Rodgers went on to call out the billions in our tax dollars that are flowing into the bank accounts of Big Pharma.

“Let’s move this forward with some love and connection, that’s what we need in this world. Let’s communicate instead of canceling someone or silencing someone. That gets us nowhere.”  Aaron Rodgers

Great points.

Category:

Activism, Heart Issues, vaccines, Viruses

Does Lyme Carditis Differ in Children vs. Adults?

https://danielcameronmd.com/lyme-carditis-children-vs-adults/

Does Lyme carditis differ in children vs. adults?

lyme carditis in child being examined by doctor
In their article, “Lyme Carditis in Hospitalized Children and Adults, a Case Series,” Shen and colleagues compare, for the first time, the presentation, management, and outcomes of Lyme carditis in the pediatric versus adult populations.
By

The authors analyzed charts of pediatric and adult patients with heart block and a positive Western Blot test for Lyme disease, who were hospitalized at Maine Medical Center. The study included 10 children and 20 adults who were admitted for Lyme carditis between January 2010 and December 2018.¹ The children’s mean age was 12.4 years. The adult mean age was 41.4 years.

The case series found:

  • 90% of the Lyme carditis patients were male, with 87% having no prior cardiac history.
  • All cases presented between June and October.
  • Of the 13 cases who noted symptom onset, 76% presented within 3 weeks of illness.
  • Out of 30 patients, 17 were evaluated at an outpatient facility. “Of these, a minority (41%) had Lyme disease suspected in the outpatient setting, and fewer (12%) were initiated on Lyme disease treatment.”

“Improved early recognition and treatment of Lyme disease may decrease Lyme carditis.”

  • Children with Lyme carditis were more likely to present with disseminated erythema migrans and fever. Otherwise, children and adults had similar symptom presentations, exhibiting predominantly presyncope and syncope.
  • “There was no statistical difference between pediatric and adult cases with regards to heart block type or other cardiac complications,” the authors write. “However, the most common heart block in pediatric cases was first-degree (40%) vs second-degree Mobitz type 2 in adult cases (55%).”
  • Adults were more likely to require a pacemaker (60%) compared with 20% of children. “Proportionately more adults needed temporary pacing,” the authors write, while “Children had shorter antibiotic durations…”

“… there is room for improving outpatient diagnosis and treatment of early Lyme disease, even in a high-incidence state like Maine.”

  • Out of the 30 cases, 27 had improved heart block, while 3 adults required a pacemaker at discharge. One patient died.

The authors point out that the majority of these cases were evaluated by an outpatient provider before carditis developed. However, only 41% of the patients were diagnosed with or suspected to have Lyme disease at that visit.

Furthermore, even fewer (12%) of those patients received appropriate antibiotics.

“Overall, there were no major differences seen between the presentations or outcomes of pediatric and adult Lyme carditis cases,” the authors write.

“Earlier diagnosis and treatment would likely have prevented carditis and the need for hospital admission,” the authors conclude.

“… there is room for improving outpatient diagnosis and treatment of early Lyme disease, even in a high-incidence state like Maine.”

Related Articles:

Lyme carditis diagnosis: 18 cases

Patients can die when Lyme carditis is not treated

Study identifies 189 children with Lyme carditis

References:
  1. Richard V Shen, Carol A McCarthy, Robert P Smith, Lyme Carditis in Hospitalized Children and Adults, a Case Series, Open Forum Infectious Diseases, Volume 8, Issue 7, July 2021, ofab140, https://doi.org/10.1093/ofid/ofab140

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Category:

Heart Issues, Lyme, research