Author/Authors :
Heggermont, Ward Department of Cardiology - Cardiovascular Research Center - OLV Ziekenhuis Aalst-Asse-Ninove, Aalst, Belgium , Hong Nguyen, Pham Anh Department of Respiratory Medicine - OLV Ziekenhuis Aalst-Asse-Ninove, Aalst, Belgium , Lau, Chirik-Wah Department of Cardiology - Cardiovascular Research Center - OLV Ziekenhuis Aalst-Asse-Ninove, Aalst, Belgium , Tournoy, Kurt Department of Respiratory Medicine - OLV Ziekenhuis Aalst-Asse-Ninove, Aalst, Belgium
Abstract :
We present a patient with severe nonischemic cardiomyopathy in whom the HeartLogic algorithm was activated on her Boston
Scientific cardioverter defibrillator. She had an out-of-alert state for several months and had clinically “stable” heart failure with
no hospitalizations in the last 6 months. A sudden and fast increase of the HeartLogic index preceded her presentation in the
emergency ward by several days. The detailed readout of HeartLogic however had some atypical features for heart failure
decompensation. The patient presented at the emergency department with an increased dyspnea and a dry cough. Clinical exam
showed desaturation and was suggestive for an acute respiratory infection. Subsequent imaging with CT thorax and
nasopharyngeal real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) confirmed SARS-CoV-2 viral pneumonia (COVID-19). This
case illustrates that a timely and detailed analysis of HeartLogic alerts could help in the early differentiation of disease in
patients with severe heart failure.
