Open AccessA Rare Case of Myocarditis Induced by Cannabis Use
Author(s) -
Tony Jung,
Brynn Charron
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
uwomj/medical journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2560-8274
pISSN - 0042-0336
DOI - 10.5206/uwomj.v89i2.10414
Subject(s) - cannabis , myocarditis , medicine , tetrahydrocannabinol , effects of cannabis , autopsy , depression (economics) , adverse effect , psychiatry , cannabinoid , receptor , cannabidiol , economics , macroeconomics
Cannabis is one of the most commonly abused drugs in the world and there is a widespread misconception that cannabis is a safe drug without adverse effects. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is one of the main chemicals of cannabis and considerable research suggests that cannabis and THC may have severe consequences on mental as well as physical health. However, the cardiovascular effects of cannabis are not well known. This article outlines the first reported case of pediatric death due to myocarditis induced by cannabis exposure. The subject is an 11-month-old male without any previous medical history that presented to the emergency department with central nervous system depression. The patient then went into cardiac arrest and died. Autopsy revealed myocarditis as the cause of death. Post-mortem blood analysis further revealed high concentrations of Δ-9-THC which is a metabolite of THC that can be detected for 24 hours after exposure. Considering that no other alternate causes of myocarditis have been confirmed, this raises cannabis exposure as the most likely cause. Although this is the first case of death from cannabis-induced myocarditis, there have been other cases wherein which cannabis exposure lead to myocarditis in young males. Altogether, these cases highlight the need for further investigation into the cardiovascular effects of cannabis and to consider cannabis in the diagnosis of myocarditis.