A Steep Increase in the HeartLogic Index Predicts COVID-19 Disease in an Advanced Heart Failure Patient

Abstract

We present a patient with severe nonischemic cardiomyopathy in whom the HeartLogic algorithm was activated on her Boston Scientific cardioverter defibrillator. She had an out-of-alert state for several months and had clinically “stable” heart failure with no hospitalizations in the last 6 months. A sudden and fast increase of the HeartLogic index preceded her presentation in the emergency ward by several days. The detailed readout of HeartLogic however had some atypical features for heart failure decompensation. The patient presented at the emergency department with an increased dyspnea and a dry cough. Clinical exam showed desaturation and was suggestive for an acute respiratory infection. Subsequent imaging with CT thorax and nasopharyngeal real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) confirmed SARS-CoV-2 viral pneumonia (COVID-19). This case illustrates that a timely and detailed analysis of HeartLogic alerts could help in the early differentiation of disease in patients with severe heart failure.