MEDISCOPE | ISSUE 2 | 02 DECEMBER 2020

MYOCARDITIS
Myocarditis is the name of a viral heart condition
that causes inflammation of the myocardium (the
heart muscle). Myocarditis can reduce the heart’s
ability to pump blood around the body, due to
damage to the muscle and/or the heart’s
electrical system. The damage caused to the
heart causes arrhythmias which can cause
complications and lead to permanent damage to
the heart muscle. This can then lead to heart
failure due to the clots in the ventricles or arteries
that lead to the brain, heart attacks or stroke as
the heart can no longer pump enough blood
around the body and in the most severe cases,
sudden cardiac arrest.
This heart condition is usually caused by a viral
infection and hence cannot be treated using
antibiotics. A reaction to an illegal drug, radiation,
bacterial infection, parasites, fungi or another
inflammatory condition, could also cause
myocarditis.
Unlike most cardiovascular conditions,
myocarditis is not just common in the elderly but
it can affect anyone and it affects males twice as
often as females. In addition to this, it is the third
leading cause of sudden death in teenagers and
children.
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The most frequent symptoms include:
Arrhythmias
Fatigue and shortness of breath
Chest pain
Body Aches and headaches
Joint pain or inflammation
Fever
Fainting
Breathing difficulties or rapid breathing
By Jessica James Pallickamyalil 12S
In order to diagnose this condition, an
electrocardiogram, a chest X-ray, an
echocardiogram or a MRI scan can be used. The
electrocardiogram can detect the heart’s
electrical activity using electrodes that are taped
to the patient’s chest. A chest X-ray shows any
changes in the structure of the lungs or heart and
helps a physician to diagnose a patient with
myocarditis. An echocardiogram uses sound
waves to make an image of the heart or analyse
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the blood flow in the heart. In more serious
conditions, a MRI scan is taken to diagnose a
patient with myocarditis. Drugs to reduce the risk
of blood clotting or to eliminate excess fluid in the
body, are usually prescribed to patients that
suffer from myocarditis. This reduces the
workload of the heart and also reduces the risk of
heart attacks or stroke. Some examples of the
medication include:
Enalapril, captopril, lisinopril (these are
angiotensin - converting enzyme inhibitors) -
they help the blood flow more easily by
relaxing the blood vessels in the heart.
Losartan and valsartan are receptor blockers
that also relax the blood 5 vessels to ease the
blood flow around the body.
Metoprolol, bisoprolol and carvedilol are Beta
blockers that treat heart failure and help to
control arrhythmias in the heart. This type of
medication is taken for a few months to aid
the heart’s recovery.
For more severe cases intravenous
medications (IV) could be used to support the
heart to pump blood around the body.
Ventricular assist devices (VADs) are
mechanical pumps that can support the
ventricles when pumping blood around the
body. VADs are commonly used when a
patient is waiting for a heart transplant.
If it seems like the patient’s heart is too weak
and it will be difficult for the patient to fully
recover, then the patient may be eligible to
receive a heart transplant and even then they
could be on medication for the rest of their
life.
Image showing the myocardium, i.e. the
muscle tissue that forms the walls of the
heart
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CARDIOLOGY - MYOCARDITIS