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Meningitis and high-grade, second-degree atrioventricular block in an adolescent: causal effect or coincidence?

Part of: Electrophysiology Infectious

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 May 2021

Lee D Murphy ,
Amy R Florez ,
Richard J Czosek ,
David S Cooper  and
Kenneth E Mah Open the ORCID record for Kenneth E Mah [Opens in a new window]
Lee D Murphy
Affiliation:
The Heart Institute, Division of Cardiology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
Amy R Florez
Affiliation:
The Heart Institute, Division of Cardiology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
Richard J Czosek
Affiliation:
The Heart Institute, Division of Cardiology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
David S Cooper
Affiliation:
The Heart Institute, Division of Cardiology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
Kenneth E Mah*
Affiliation:
The Heart Institute, Division of Cardiology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
*
Author for correspondence: Kenneth E. Mah, MD, MS, The Heart Institute, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Avenue, MLC 2003, Cincinnati, OH45229, USA. Tel: (513) 803-4343; Fax: (513) 636-3952. E-mail: Kenneth.Mah@cchmc.org
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Abstract

We describe an adolescent with Streptococcus pneumoniae meningitis and symptomatic high-grade, second-degree atrioventricular block requiring permanent pacemaker placement. It is difficult to ascertain if these two diagnoses were independent or had a causal relationship though ongoing symptoms were not present prior to the infection. Because of this uncertainty, awareness that rhythm disturbances can be cardiac in origin but also secondary to other aetiologies, such as infection, is warranted.

Keywords

High-grade heart blocksecond-degree atrioventricular blockStreptococcus pneumoniae meningitisseizurepacemakershock (circulatory)
Type
Brief Report
Information
Cardiology in the Young , Volume 31 , Issue 11 , November 2021 , pp. 1873 - 1875
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press

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