Unexpected finding of myocardial depression in 2 healthy young patients with COVID‐19 pneumonia: possible support for COVID‐19‐related myocarditis

Blaivas, Michael

COVID‐19 is proving to be a devastating pandemic with both tragic economic and health consequences worldwide. Point‐of‐care ultrasound (POCUS) of the lungs has been thrust into the forefront of resources that could be used in the management of COVID‐19 acute care patients. However, relatively little attention has been paid to POCUS utility in assessing the heart in COVID‐19 patients. Anecdotal reports suggest encounters of likely COVID‐19 induced pericardial effusions and myocardial electrical dysfunction. This article presents 2 cases of generally healthy patients who were noted to have classic COVID‐19 bilateral pneumonia findings on lung ultrasound and incidentally discovered to have unsuspected left ventricular dysfunction likely resulting from myocarditis. POCUS videos are presented as illustrations of this potentially overlooked complication.