Date of Presentation
5-4-2023 12:00 AM
College
School of Osteopathic Medicine
Poster Abstract
Needle embolisms in the heart are very rare, even though the number of intravenous drug users (IVDUs) has increased over the past 10 years.Due to varied symptomology-chest pain, dyspnoea, fever, or asymptomatic, this remains a complex and likely underdiagnosed condition. We describe a 31-year-old female with past medical history of IV drug use who presented to the emergency room with heart palpitations and described it as her “heart feels funny” and shortness of breath. She acknowledged intravenous (IV) heroin use and stated that the last time to use IV drugs was 2 days before coming to the hospital.
To our knowledge, this is the first case to describe a patient that comes in with chief complaint of heart palpitations and after that to be found to have a needle in her heart. Clinicians should be aware of these rare presentations to aid with proper treatment and management. Although further studies are warranted, we propose here that putting needle embolization in your differential diagnosis in patients with intravenous drug abuse who present with infective endocarditis.
Keywords
Hypodermic Needles, Embolism, Foreign Bodies, Differential Diagnosis, Substance-Related Disorders, Endocarditis
Disciplines
Cardiology | Cardiovascular Diseases | Emergency Medicine | Equipment and Supplies | Medicine and Health Sciences | Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms | Substance Abuse and Addiction
Document Type
Poster
Included in
Cardiology Commons, Cardiovascular Diseases Commons, Emergency Medicine Commons, Equipment and Supplies Commons, Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Commons, Substance Abuse and Addiction Commons
Infective Endocarditis Secondary to Needle Embolization to The Heart
Needle embolisms in the heart are very rare, even though the number of intravenous drug users (IVDUs) has increased over the past 10 years.Due to varied symptomology-chest pain, dyspnoea, fever, or asymptomatic, this remains a complex and likely underdiagnosed condition. We describe a 31-year-old female with past medical history of IV drug use who presented to the emergency room with heart palpitations and described it as her “heart feels funny” and shortness of breath. She acknowledged intravenous (IV) heroin use and stated that the last time to use IV drugs was 2 days before coming to the hospital.
To our knowledge, this is the first case to describe a patient that comes in with chief complaint of heart palpitations and after that to be found to have a needle in her heart. Clinicians should be aware of these rare presentations to aid with proper treatment and management. Although further studies are warranted, we propose here that putting needle embolization in your differential diagnosis in patients with intravenous drug abuse who present with infective endocarditis.