Combined Use of Electrocardiography and Ultrasound to Detect Cardiac and Pulmonary Involvement after Recovery from COVID-19 Pneumonia: A Case Series
Background: Although severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) may cause an acute multiorgan syndrome (coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)), data are emerging on mid- and long-term sequelae of COVID-19 pneumonia. Since no study has hitherto investigated the role of both cardiac an...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2021-10-01
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| Series: | Journal of Cardiovascular Development and Disease |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2308-3425/8/10/133 |
| _version_ | 1797514217094381568 |
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| author | Jacopo Marazzato Roberto De Ponti Paolo Verdecchia Sergio Masnaghetti Dina Visca Antonio Spanevello Monica Trapasso Martina Zappa Antonella Mancinelli Fabio Angeli |
| author_facet | Jacopo Marazzato Roberto De Ponti Paolo Verdecchia Sergio Masnaghetti Dina Visca Antonio Spanevello Monica Trapasso Martina Zappa Antonella Mancinelli Fabio Angeli |
| author_sort | Jacopo Marazzato |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Although severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) may cause an acute multiorgan syndrome (coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)), data are emerging on mid- and long-term sequelae of COVID-19 pneumonia. Since no study has hitherto investigated the role of both cardiac and pulmonary ultrasound techniques in detecting such sequelae, this study aimed at evaluating these simple diagnostic tools to appraise the cardiopulmonary involvement after COVID-19 pneumonia. Methods: Twenty-nine patients fully recovered from COVID-19 pneumonia were considered at our centre. On admission, all patients underwent 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) and transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) evaluation. Compression ultrasound (CUS) and lung ultrasound (LUS) were also performed. Finally, in each patient, pathological findings detected on LUS were correlated with the pulmonary involvement occurring after COVID-19 pneumonia, as assessed on thoracic computed tomography (CT). Results: Out of 29 patients (mean age 70 ± 10 years; males 69%), prior cardiovascular and pulmonary comorbidities were recorded in 22 (76%). Twenty-seven patients (93%) were in sinus rhythm and two (7%) in atrial fibrillation. Persistence of ECG abnormalities from the acute phase was common, and nonspecific repolarisation abnormalities (93%) reflected the high prevalence of pericardial involvement on TTE (86%). Likewise, pleural abnormalities were frequently observed (66%). TTE signs of left and right ventricular dysfunction were reported in two patients, and values of systolic pulmonary artery pressure were abnormal in 16 (55%, despite the absence of prior comorbidities in 44% of them). Regarding LUS evaluation, most patients displayed abnormal values of diaphragmatic thickness and excursion (93%), which correlated well with the high prevalence (76%) of pathological findings on CT scan. CUS ruled out deep vein thrombosis in all patients. Conclusions: Data on cardiopulmonary involvement after COVID-19 pneumonia are scarce. In our study, simple diagnostic tools (TTE and LUS) proved clinically useful for the detection of cardiopulmonary complications after COVID-19 pneumonia. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T06:28:29Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-092846fc8fca44ab95e6a156e139b528 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2308-3425 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T06:28:29Z |
| publishDate | 2021-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Cardiovascular Development and Disease |
| spelling | doaj.art-092846fc8fca44ab95e6a156e139b5282023-11-22T18:40:32ZengMDPI AGJournal of Cardiovascular Development and Disease2308-34252021-10-0181013310.3390/jcdd8100133Combined Use of Electrocardiography and Ultrasound to Detect Cardiac and Pulmonary Involvement after Recovery from COVID-19 Pneumonia: A Case SeriesJacopo Marazzato0Roberto De Ponti1Paolo Verdecchia2Sergio Masnaghetti3Dina Visca4Antonio Spanevello5Monica Trapasso6Martina Zappa7Antonella Mancinelli8Fabio Angeli9Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Insubria, 21100 Varese, ItalyDepartment of Medicine and Surgery, University of Insubria, 21100 Varese, ItalyFondazione Umbra Cuore e Ipertensione-ONLUS and Division of Cardiology, Hospital S. Maria della Misericordia, 06100 Perugia, ItalyDepartment of Medicine and Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation, Maugeri Care and Research Institute, IRCCS Tradate, 21049 Tradate, ItalyDepartment of Medicine and Surgery, University of Insubria, 21100 Varese, ItalyDepartment of Medicine and Surgery, University of Insubria, 21100 Varese, ItalyDipartimento di Igiene e Prevenzione Sanitaria, PSAL, Sede Territoriale di Varese, ATS Insubria, 21100 Varese, ItalyDepartment of Medicine and Surgery, University of Insubria, 21100 Varese, ItalyDepartment of Medicine and Surgery, University of Insubria, 21100 Varese, ItalyDepartment of Medicine and Surgery, University of Insubria, 21100 Varese, ItalyBackground: Although severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) may cause an acute multiorgan syndrome (coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)), data are emerging on mid- and long-term sequelae of COVID-19 pneumonia. Since no study has hitherto investigated the role of both cardiac and pulmonary ultrasound techniques in detecting such sequelae, this study aimed at evaluating these simple diagnostic tools to appraise the cardiopulmonary involvement after COVID-19 pneumonia. Methods: Twenty-nine patients fully recovered from COVID-19 pneumonia were considered at our centre. On admission, all patients underwent 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) and transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) evaluation. Compression ultrasound (CUS) and lung ultrasound (LUS) were also performed. Finally, in each patient, pathological findings detected on LUS were correlated with the pulmonary involvement occurring after COVID-19 pneumonia, as assessed on thoracic computed tomography (CT). Results: Out of 29 patients (mean age 70 ± 10 years; males 69%), prior cardiovascular and pulmonary comorbidities were recorded in 22 (76%). Twenty-seven patients (93%) were in sinus rhythm and two (7%) in atrial fibrillation. Persistence of ECG abnormalities from the acute phase was common, and nonspecific repolarisation abnormalities (93%) reflected the high prevalence of pericardial involvement on TTE (86%). Likewise, pleural abnormalities were frequently observed (66%). TTE signs of left and right ventricular dysfunction were reported in two patients, and values of systolic pulmonary artery pressure were abnormal in 16 (55%, despite the absence of prior comorbidities in 44% of them). Regarding LUS evaluation, most patients displayed abnormal values of diaphragmatic thickness and excursion (93%), which correlated well with the high prevalence (76%) of pathological findings on CT scan. CUS ruled out deep vein thrombosis in all patients. Conclusions: Data on cardiopulmonary involvement after COVID-19 pneumonia are scarce. In our study, simple diagnostic tools (TTE and LUS) proved clinically useful for the detection of cardiopulmonary complications after COVID-19 pneumonia.https://www.mdpi.com/2308-3425/8/10/133SARS-CoV-2COVID-19interstitial pneumonialong COVIDelectrocardiographytransthoracic echocardiography |
| spellingShingle | Jacopo Marazzato Roberto De Ponti Paolo Verdecchia Sergio Masnaghetti Dina Visca Antonio Spanevello Monica Trapasso Martina Zappa Antonella Mancinelli Fabio Angeli Combined Use of Electrocardiography and Ultrasound to Detect Cardiac and Pulmonary Involvement after Recovery from COVID-19 Pneumonia: A Case Series Journal of Cardiovascular Development and Disease SARS-CoV-2 COVID-19 interstitial pneumonia long COVID electrocardiography transthoracic echocardiography |
| title | Combined Use of Electrocardiography and Ultrasound to Detect Cardiac and Pulmonary Involvement after Recovery from COVID-19 Pneumonia: A Case Series |
| title_full | Combined Use of Electrocardiography and Ultrasound to Detect Cardiac and Pulmonary Involvement after Recovery from COVID-19 Pneumonia: A Case Series |
| title_fullStr | Combined Use of Electrocardiography and Ultrasound to Detect Cardiac and Pulmonary Involvement after Recovery from COVID-19 Pneumonia: A Case Series |
| title_full_unstemmed | Combined Use of Electrocardiography and Ultrasound to Detect Cardiac and Pulmonary Involvement after Recovery from COVID-19 Pneumonia: A Case Series |
| title_short | Combined Use of Electrocardiography and Ultrasound to Detect Cardiac and Pulmonary Involvement after Recovery from COVID-19 Pneumonia: A Case Series |
| title_sort | combined use of electrocardiography and ultrasound to detect cardiac and pulmonary involvement after recovery from covid 19 pneumonia a case series |
| topic | SARS-CoV-2 COVID-19 interstitial pneumonia long COVID electrocardiography transthoracic echocardiography |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2308-3425/8/10/133 |
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