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INTRODUCTION: Although several guidelines recommend that patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) be treated with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin II receptor blockers (ACEI/ARB) or angiotensin receptor - neprilysin inhibitors (ARNI), beta-blockers, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRA), and sodium-glucose cocotransporter-2 inhibitor (SGLT2i), there are still several gaps in their prescription and dosage in Colombia. This study aims to describe the use patterns of HFrEF treatments in the Colombian Heart Failure Registry (RECOLFACA). METHODS: Patients with HFrEF enrolled in RECOLFACA during 2017-2019 were included. Heart Failure (HF) medications prescription and daily dose were assessed using absolute numbers and proportions. Therapeutic schemes of patients treated by internal medicine specialists were compared with those treated by cardiologists. RESULTS: Out of 2528 patients in the registry, 1384 (54.7%) had HFrEF. Among those individuals, 88.9% were prescribed beta-blockers, 72.3% with ACEI/ARBs, 67.9% with MRAs, and 13.1% with ARNIs. Moreover, less than a third of the total patients reached the target doses recommended by the European HF guidelines. No significant differences in the therapeutic schemes or target doses were observed between patients treated by internal medicine specialists or cardiologists. CONCLUSION: Prescription rates and target dose achievement is sub-optimal in Colombia. Nevertheless, RECOLFACA had one of the highest prescription rates of beta-blockers and MRAs compared to some of the most recent HF registries. However, ARNIs remain underprescribed. Continuous registry updates can improve the identification of patients suitable for ARNI and SGLT2i therapy to promote their use in clinical practice.
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BACKGROUND: Fulminant myocarditis is a catastrophic disease with high mortality and complications. A viral aetiology is frequent and the implication of SARS-CoV-2 is not yet known. CASE SUMMARY: A 38-year-old woman who recently arrived from Spain presented with palpitations that started suddenly 3 days prior to presentation and were associated with haemodynamic instability, without dyspnoea or chest pain. We found features of myopericarditis on the electrocardiogram and severe systolic dysfunction on the echocardiogram. The chest tomography showed findings which suggested COVID-19 infection, and PCR for SARS-CoV-2 was positive. The cardiac magnetic resonance image showed Lake Louise criteria for myocarditis. The patient was treated with immunomodulatory, steroid, and immunoglobulin therapy, with a favourable clinical response. DISCUSSION: The importance of this case lies in highlighting the severe cardiac involvement in a young patient, without previous risk factors, positive for COVID-19, and the favourable response to the medical treatment given.
