Cardiovascular manifestations of monkeypox virus outbreak: An overview of the reported cases.
Amr Ehab El-Qushayri, Abdelrahman G Tawfik, Hani Mahmoud-Elsayed
PMID 36739643WHAT IT FOUND
Nine Mpox cases reported heart inflammation or atrial fibrillation; all recovered, three needed ICU.
In suspected Mpox with chest pain or breathlessness, ECG and troponin testing may help exclude heart involvement.
Key findings
01Nine patients with Mpox and cardiovascular complications were reported: six myocarditis, one pericarditis, one myopericarditis, and one atrial fibrillation.
02All nine patients recovered, and three required ICU admission.
03Elevated troponin was reported in five cases, abnormal ECG in five cases, abnormal echocardiography in three cases, and abnormal CMR in three of three cases tested.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Only nine published cases were available, and most were case reports, so this cannot show how common heart complications are in Mpox. Detailed characteristics, symptoms, and laboratory data were missing for two studies because authors did not reply to requests for data. All six patients with detailed data were male, and several had HIV or syphilis, so results may not apply to women or people without these conditions. Treatments varied, including supportive care, aspirin, tecovirimat, doxycycline, antibiotics, ibuprofen, colchicine, an ACE inhibitor, vaccinia immune globulin, and eye drops, so the contribution of any single treatment cannot be separated. The search was limited to 2022 and excluded reviews and preprints, which may have missed relevant reports.
Declared interests
The authors declared no funding and no competing interests.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that Mpox commonly causes heart problems or that any listed treatment caused recovery. Only nine published cases were found, and the patients received different treatments or supportive care with no comparison group.