Acute myocardial infarction after inactivated COVID-19 vaccination: a case report and literature review

Front Cardiovasc Med. 2023 May 30:10:1123385. doi: 10.3389/fcvm.2023.1123385. eCollection 2023.

Abstract

A number of vaccines have been developed and deployed globally to restrain the spreading of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The adverse effect following vaccination is an important consideration. Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a kind of rare adverse event after COVID-19 vaccination. Herein, we present a case of an 83-year-old male who suffered cold sweat ten minutes after the first inactivated COVID-19 vaccination and AMI one day later. The emergency coronary angiography showed coronary thrombosis and underlying stenosis in his coronary artery. Type II Kounis syndrome might be a potential mechanism, which is manifested as coronary thrombosis secondary to allergic reactions in patients with underlying asymptomatic coronary heart disease. We also summarize the reported AMI cases post COVID-19 vaccination, as well as overview and discuss the proposed mechanisms of AMI after COVID-19 vaccination, thus providing insights for clinicians to be aware of the possibility of AMI following COVID-19 vaccination and potential underlying mechanisms.

Keywords: COVID-19 vaccination; acute myocardial infarction (AMI); coronary heart disease (CHD); coronary thrombosis; kounis syndrome (KS).

Publication types

  • Case Reports

Grants and funding

This research was granted from the Medical Research Project of Xiamen Cardiovascular Hospital of Xiamen University (No. 2020-05) and a Startup Fund (Grant No. XZZX202103017) from Xiamen Cardiovascular Hospital of Xiamen University to RG.