International Journal of Cardiovascular Sciences. 14/Feb/2023;36:e20220035.

Covid-19 and Heart Involvement: A Systematic Review of Literature

Francisco Cezar Aquino de Moraes , Rafael Reis do Espírito Santos, Joel Campos de Moraes , Aline Carolina Castro Mota, Fernando Rocha Pessoa , Dayanne Coutinho Sarges , Davi Alexandrino Moraes, Dilma do Socorro Moraes de Souza

DOI: 10.36660/ijcs.20220035

Abstract

Background

Recent reports in the literature have indicated that infection by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) causes cardiac complications, such as heart failure, arrhythmia, myocardial infarction, and even fulminant myocarditis. These complications have been identified as the cause of death in some patients infected with SARS-CoV-2.

Objectives

To analyze echocardiographic and electrocardiographic changes, treatments used, and clinical outcomes in patients with myocarditis and COVID-19.

Methods

The items described for Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) were followed. This review included articles in English, Portuguese, and Spanish that reported cardiac involvement, injury, or myocardial inflammation in patients who acquired COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2).

Results

Five databases were consulted to find 1,726 articles. After applying the eligibility criteria, a total of 22 studies were considered qualified. ST-segment (section of the electrocardiogram corresponding the end of the S wave to the beginning of the T wave) elevation and tachyarrhythmia were the most common changes found in the electrocardiographic analysis of patients affected with COVID-19. Concerning echocardiography, there was a high frequency of decreased ejection fraction and occurrence of pericardial effusion.

Conclusion

This systematic review provides a potential tool for the analysis of cardiac changes and implications caused in patients affected by SARS-CoV-2 infection, with emphasis on the presence of tachyarrhythmia on electrocardiogram (ECG) and decreased ejection fraction on echocardiogram.