Third-Degree Heart Block Associated With Saddle Pulmonary Embolism: A Rare Sequelae of COVID-19-Induced Hypercoagulable State

Division

North Florida

Hospital

North Florida Regional Medical Center

Document Type

Case Report

Publication Date

7-7-2021

Keywords

covid 19, hypercoagulable state, third degree atrioventricular block, pulmonary emboli, saddle embolus

Disciplines

Cardiovascular Diseases | Infectious Disease | Internal Medicine | Virus Diseases

Abstract

The pathophysiology of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) involves multi-organ dysfunction, particularly involving the respiratory, cardiovascular and hematological systems. This dysfunction is partly due to systemic inflammation causing a wide array of pathological sequelae thus posing a significant challenge to management despite the advances in treatment made thus far. In this report, we present a COVID-19 patient who developed a transient complete heart block and was temporarily paced as a complication of a saddle pulmonary embolus (PE). The mechanism of complete heart block is unclear, may be related to strain, ischemia, or vagal response. We believe that this is a unique sequence of events in a COVID-19 patient and, to our knowledge, is the first of its kind to be reported.

Publisher or Conference

Cureus

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