Inflammatory Heart Disease and Myocarditis Treatment

Types of Heart Infections

There are three primary types of heart infections:

Endocarditis

Endocarditis is an infection of the heart’s inner lining or valves. It typically occurs when germs travel through your bloodstream to your heart and attach to damaged heart tissue. Endocarditis must be treated immediately so that it doesn’t turn into a fatal condition.

Myocarditis

Myocarditis is caused by a viral infection (one example being COVID-19) or autoimmune response and leads to inflammation and damage of the heart muscle. This inflammation enlarges and weakens the heart, creates scar tissue and forces the heart to work harder to circulate blood and oxygen through the body. While cardiovascular conditions are often associated with elderly populations, myocarditis can affect anyone, including young adults, children and infants.

Pericarditis

Pericarditis is the inflammation of the fibrous sac surrounding the heart known as the pericardium. This heart infection can arise after a heart attack or heart surgery, or because of an inflammatory autoimmune condition such as arthritis.

Diagnosing Heart Inflammation

Advanced heart imaging techniques help your doctor determine the location, cause and type of heart infection.

Electrocardiogram (EKG)

Using electrodes taped to the skin, electrical activity is recorded as waves that represent electrical forces in the heart

Chest X-ray

Produces an image on film that outlines the shape and size of the heart, lungs and other structures in the chest

Echocardiogram (echo)

Sound waves sent into the body from a small device reflect back from internal structures and return to device, producing images of the heart

Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan

Creates images of the heart using a magnetic field and radio waves

Heart biopsy

Done through a catheter threaded into the heart to remove a small piece of heart muscle for examination

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Heart Inflammation Treatment Options

The type of heart infection you have as well as its cause will help guide how our heart specialists determine treatment.

Antibiotics, heart medications, corticosteroids and drugs that reduce inflammation can usually treat and resolve minor inflammatory heart disease. However, if your case is more serious, advanced treatments may be recommended, such as:

Heart rhythm devices

An implantable cardioverter-defibrillator or advanced technology pacemaker can be inserted into your heart to help strengthen its function.

Pericardiocentesis

This procedure uses a needle to remove excess fluid from the pericardium. It may be an option if you have severe pericarditis and an excessive amount of fluid buildup around your heart.

Intra-aortic balloon pump

A thin tube (catheter) is inserted into a blood vessel in the leg and guided to the heart using X-ray imaging. A balloon attached to the end of the catheter inflates and deflates in the main artery leading out to the body from the heart (aorta). An intra-aortic pump increases blood flow and decreases strain on the heart.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO)

A machine that mimics the function of the lungs and takes over the work of the heart while it heals. During ECMO, blood is removed from the body, passes through the machine to remove carbon dioxide and add oxygen to the blood before returning it to the body. This treatment may be used to allow the heart to recover or while waiting for other treatments, such as a heart transplant.

Ventricular assist device (VAD)

A device used in people with weakened hearts or heart failure to help pump blood from the lower chambers of the heart (ventricles) to the rest of the body. A VAD may be used to allow heart to recover or while waiting for other treatments, such as a heart transplant.

Heart transplant

For some with very severe heart damage that cannot be reversed, heart transplantation may be a viable treatment option.