Septic cardiomyopathy or myocardial infarction?: A case report of septic shock with ST-segment elevation on ECG

Rationale:Sepsis is one of the most prevalent and deadly diseases today. Sepsis involving the heart can progress to septic cardiomyopathy; however, there is a lack of uniform diagnostic criteria. A review of the literature reveals a paucity of literature on sepsis combined with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and no reports on emergency surgical treatment.Patient's concerns:A 52-year-old patient with trauma-induced sepsis leading to acute heart failure with elevated ST-segment on electrocardiogram and postoperative coronary angiography suggestive of AMI.Diagnoses:Small bowel rupture, infectious shock, AMI, hypertensive disease, old cerebral infarction.Interventions:The patient was admitted to the hospital and immediately underwent emergency surgery to remove the infected focus, with treatment with meropenem for anti-infection, ambroxol for sputum, parenteral nutritional support, sedation and analgesia, esmolol to control the ventricular rate, uradil to control blood pressure, and transfusion of red blood cells and plasma for correction of anemia and coagulation functions. Coronary angiography was performed 6 months later.Outcomes:The patient was discharged after showing signs of improvement and was subsequently monitored in an outpatient clinic setting. At the time of writing, the patient is still alive and well.Lessons:In cases of acute heart failure resulting from trauma-induced sepsis, it is crucial to consider myocardial ischemia as a potential factor. Early surgical removal of infected foci may prove beneficial in improving the patient's prognosis. However, differentiating between septic cardiomyopathy and sepsis-combined myocardial infarction can be challenging, and the appropriateness of the diagnostic criteria for sepsis at this stage is debatable.