New Onset, Irreversible, Prolonged QT-Interval Requiring Permanent Biventricular Pacemaker in a COVID-19 Patient

Ahmad Jallad¹, Andrew V. Doodnauth², Justin Lee¹, Emmanuel Valery², Stephanie Myers², Dahlia Rizk³ and Samy I. McFarlane^2,

¹Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Electrophysiology Section, State University of New York: Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York, United States- 11203

²Department of Internal Medicine, State University of New York: Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York, United States- 11203

³Division of Hospital Medicine, Department of Medicine, Mount Sinai Beth Israel, Icahn School of Medicine NY, NY 10003

Cite this paper

Ahmad Jallad, Andrew V. Doodnauth, Justin Lee, Emmanuel Valery, Stephanie Myers, Dahlia Rizk and Samy I. McFarlane. New Onset, Irreversible, Prolonged QT-Interval Requiring Permanent Biventricular Pacemaker in a COVID-19 Patient. American Journal of Medical Case Reports. 2021; 9(4):249-252. doi: 10.12691/AJMCR-9-4-11

Abstract

Various electrocardiographic (EKG) manifestations have been reported in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). There is growing evidence showing that new onset QT-prolongation is a common EKG finding in COVID-19 patients. In this report, we present a case of a 71-year-old man who was found to have a new onset, irreversible, prolonged QT-interval requiring permanent biventricular pacemaker despite testing negative twice for RT-PCR COVID-19 and correction of all known reversible causes. To date, there are a limited number of reports of irreversible QT-prolongation associated with COVID-19. This case report emphasizes the importance of a physician's clinical judgment in the setting of negative RT-PCR COVID-19 testing. A robust systemic inflammatory state seen in active COVID-19 infection is possibly the key mechanism precipitating the new EKG findings.

Keywords

QT-prolongation, coronavirus disease 2019, RT-PCR COVID-19, cardiac pacemaker

Copyright

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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