title: Lyme carditis: complete AV dissociation with episodic asystole presenting as syncope in the emergency department.
abstract: We report a case of Lyme carditis in an otherwise-healthy young male who presented to the Emergency Department (ED) with syncope and a possible seizure. This patient, without documented history of Lyme disease, acutely developed third-degree atrioventricular (AV) block with episodic asystole, which required placement of a transvenous pacemaker in the ED and resolved only after the patient had been placed on ceftriaxone. We discuss the significance of Lyme carditis and its increasing prevalence, and review the current literature. We also recommend appropriate screening modalities for patients with known Lyme disease, or an atypical profile for cardiac abnormalities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, North Shore University Hospital, Manhasset, New York 11030, USA.
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Rosenfeld
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Beckerman
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Ward
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sama
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004638:Emergency Treatment; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000150:complications*; D006327:Heart Block / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008193:Lyme Disease / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D009205:Myocarditis / Q000150:complications* / Q000382:microbiology; D013575:Syncope / Q000150:complications*