Cardiac arrhythmias in critically ill patients with COVID 19: A brief review

Karamchandani, Kunal; Quintili, Ashley; Landis, Terra; Bose, Somnath

Coronavirus disease 2019, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 is now a global pandemic affecting over 17 million patients across 188 countries. A significant proportion of these patients require admission to intensive care units for acute hypoxic respiratory failure and are at an increased risk of developing cardiac arrhythmias. The presence of underlying comorbidities, pathophysiological changes imposed by the disease, and concomitant polypharmacy increases the likelihood of life-threatening arrhythmias in this vulnerable patient population. Supraventricular as well as ventricular arrhythmias are common and are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. It is important to understand the interplay of various causal factors while instituting strategies to mitigate the impact of modifiable risk factors. Furthermore, avoidance and early recognition of drug interactions, along with prompt treatment might help improve outcomes in this vulnerable patient population.