December 10, 2024Journal of the American College of Cardiology
2024 ACC Expert Consensus Decision Pathway on Strategies and Criteria for the Diagnosis and Management of Myocarditis
Abstract
months after diagnosis. In some athletes, these assessments can be made as early as 3
Key expert perspectives
Captured external expert commentary on this paper, strongest first. Original sources are linked where available.
“The evaluation and management of a patient with clinically suspected myocarditis is described as a 5-step pathway in the ECDP. The initial step for a clinician is to recognize the condition by being aware of its three classic presentations as outlined in the ECDP. Once a patient is diagnosed, clinicians can then follow the next 4 steps in the care pathway, including triaging the patient, obtaining pivotal diagnostic tests, providing appropriate therapies, and then longitudinal follow-up.”
“There are two knowledge gaps this expert consensus decision pathway intends to fill. The first is a proposed five-step care pathway for the evaluation and treatment of patients with myocarditis. There haven't been any recent guidelines, at least in the United States, to guide management of patients with myocarditis. The second is a novel staging classification for myocarditis. We proposed a four-stage model, from stages A to D. It reflects the fact that myocarditis is not a static condition, but rather one with trajectories over time.”
“There should be a low threshold to transfer patients with high-risk features.”
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Cite This Study
Drazner et al. (2024) studied this question. Clinical assessments for athletes recovering from myocarditis can be performed as early as 3 months after diagnosis.