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Factors affecting survival in prosthetic valve endocarditis. Review of the effectiveness of prophylaxis.

We review factors affecting survival of 44 episodes of prosthetic valve endocarditis occurring in 39 patients from 1965 to 1982. The mortality was 31.8 percent (14/44), and 21.6 percent (8/37) if the fungal cases are excluded. The development of a new murmur of valvular regurgitation in 18 patients led to valve replacement or death in every patient. Streptococcal endocarditis in 11 patients resulted in no deaths and only two valve replacements; staphylococcal infections had a mortality of 27.1 percent (6/22). Length of medical therapy before valve replacement did not relate to a successful outcome. Eight cases of early staphylococcal endocarditis occurred in which the organism was susceptible to the prophylactic antibiotic therapy. Changes in prophylaxis have led to no cases of early endocarditis over the past three years in 261 valve replacements.

Adult↗

Intravegetation antimicrobial distribution in aortic endocarditis analyzed by computer-generated model. Implications for treatment.

The distribution of antibiotics into cardiac valvular tissues is incompletely understood. By integrative computer modeling, we have used previously obtained pharmacokinetic data in experimental endocarditis to characterize aminoglycoside distribution within various geographic sectors of aortic vegetations of rabbits and humans in the current study. In rabbits with pseudomonal aortic endocarditis receiving a standard regimen of amikacin (15 mg/kg every eight hours), sub-MBC levels of the drug for the infecting organism were calculated in the center of 0.38-cm vegetations; this occurred despite supra-MBC levels calculated in plasma and more peripheral loci of the vegetation. In contrast, with a high-dose regimen of amikacin (40 mg/kg every eight hours), supra-MBC drug levels were calculated throughout the entire vegetation for at least 50 percent of the dosing interval. Using similar computer-generated approaches, these data in the rabbit were approximately in simulated aminoglycoside penetration of 10-mm human aortic vegetations. Aminoglycoside regimens designed to yield supra-MBC serum levels in both normal and rapid drug eliminators consistently achieved sub-MBC levels in the center of the vegetation. Computer simulations also confirmed that daily doses of aminoglycoside at least two to four times higher than those ordinarily recommended are necessary to consistently achieve uniform supra-MBC intravegetation levels for an entire dosing interval. Such computer-generated data support the concept of maldistribution of aminoglycosides in aortic endocarditis and provide a rationale for investigating the use of high-dose regimens of aminoglycoside in treating experimental endocarditis.

Amikacin↗

Candida endocarditis in a premature infant.

Endocarditis is an uncommon complication of invasive candidiasis. We present a fatal case of endocarditis caused by Candida albicans in a very low birth weight infant. The 780-g male infant did not have any structural heart disease and a central venous catheter was not placed. Endocarditis developed in spite of parenteral fluconazole treatment. Echocardiography was a valuable tool in making the diagnosis. The infant died on the 40th day of life. The development of Candida endocarditis in a premature infant who was treated with fluconazole had not been previously reported. In the case of systemic candidiasis, premature infants require very careful monitoring for the progression of the disease, even if antifungal therapy is administered.

Candida albicans↗

Detection of right-sided endocarditis in children with congenital heart disease by two-dimensional echocardiography.

Right-sided endocarditis is rare in children. Since the clinical picture is nonspecific and the frequency of sterile blood cultures is high, the clinical and laboratory diagnosis is difficult. Recent reports suggest that echocardiography is a useful method to detect the presence of right-sided endocarditis. We studied 8 patients with congenital heart disease and right-sided endocarditis detected by two-dimensional echocardiography. All the patients were shown to have one or more vegetations in the two-dimensional echocardiographic examination. The 4 patients who did not respond to antibiotic therapy underwent elective cardiac surgery. One of these patients additionally had recurrent emboli to the lungs. Another of these 4 patients died during surgery due to myocardial failure. Apart from these 4 cases, urgent surgical intervention had to be carried out in 2 cases because of very large vegetative masses. Surgical confirmation of the diagnosis was available in all 6 cases. According to these results, we can conclude that two-dimensional echocardiography assumes a specific diagnostic role in cases with right-sided endocarditis.

Child↗

Native valve bacterial endocarditis due to Staphylococcus epidermidis. A community acquired infection following an acute course.

Staphylococcus epidermidis (SE) is the leading pathogen of prosthetic valve endocarditis. At the same time it is a very rare cause of native valve endocarditis and it follows a clinical course and outcome similar to Streptococcal viridans endocarditis. We report here the case of a 41-year-old man with a community acquired SE endocarditis of a native aortic valve. Despite early surgical intervention, the case followed an acute and fatal course.

Adult↗

Cerebral ischemia caused by Streptococcus bovis aortic endocarditis: case report.

Cerebral ischemic processes associated with infective endocarditis caused by Streptococcus bovis are rare; only 2 cases having been reported. Here we report a case of a 50-year-old man with S. bovis endocarditis who presented signs of frontal, parietal and occipital lobe cerebral ischemia. This is the first case reported in which the presence of hemianopsia preceded the endocarditis diagnosis. Initially, the clinical manifestations suggested a systemic vasculitis. Later, vegetating lesions were identified in the aortic valve and S. bovis grew in blood cultures. Antibiotic use and aortic valve replacement eliminated the infection and ceased thromboembolic events. A video colonoscopy examination revealed no mucosal lesions as a portal of entry in this case, although such lesions have been encountered in up to 70% of reported cases of S. bovis endocarditis.

Aortic Valve↗

[Infective endocarditis in adolescents. Analysis of risk factors for hospital mortality].

PURPOSE: To study the epidemiological, clinical, therapeutic and evolutive aspects of endocarditis in a group of patients aging 12 to 20 years-old (mean 15.5). METHODS: Thirty-three consecutive patients (14 males, 19 females) admitted with infective endocarditis were retrospectively studied. RESULTS: Infective endocarditis mortality was 42%. Rheumatic heart disease was the predominant underlying condition in 63% of patients. Congenital heart disease (24%) and cardiac prosthesis (12%) were the other affections involved. The majority of patients (78%) were in functional class III and IV, with more deaths than the 22% who were in functional class I and II (p = 0.01). Staphylococcus aureus was the most frequently isolated agent (42% of the positive blood cultures, followed by Staphylococcus viridans, 21%). Multivariate analysis identified total leukocyte count above 10,000/mm3 and functional class, both at admission (p = 0.01 and p = 0.004, respectively), and the occurrence of embolic complications (p = 0.03) as independent predictors of in-hospital mortality. CONCLUSION: Rheumatic heart disease remains, as in adults, the main predisposing factor for infective endocarditis in adolescents, and S. aureus is, like in children, the leading agent. Mortality is high and functional class at hospital admission, embolic complications and leukocytosis are independent predictors of in-hospital mortality.

Adolescent↗

Immunologic evaluation in infective endocarditis.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the immune response in peripheral blood of patients with infective endocarditis. METHODS: We studied 10 patients with infective endocarditis, age range from 20 to 50 years-old, males and females, and 20 healthy subjects in the same age range. The diagnosis of the disease was based on the clinical picture, echocardiogram, and hemoculture based upon samples drawn and tested before the treatment started. The were no history of atopy or malnutrition, no autoimmune disease, and they were not using any immunosuppressant or antibiotic medication. RESULTS: The patients with endocarditis had significantly higher T and B lymphocyte, CD4+ and CD8+ cell counts, IgM and IgG serum levels, and C4 component of the complement than the control group; no significant difference concerning serum IgA and neutrophil oxidative metabolism; a significant decrease in C3, chemotaxis, and monocyte phagocytosis;cryoglobulins were detected in 66.6% of patients and they were formed by IgG, IgM, IgA, C3, and C4. CONCLUSION: The patients with infective endocarditis were immunocompetent in most sectors of immune response and, at a certain moment, an autoimmune component may be present.

Adult↗

Pneumococcal endocarditis of subacute evolution.

With the development of penicillin, Streptococcus pneumoniae has become an uncommon cause of bacterial endocarditis in adults. Subacute manifestation of pneumococcal endocarditis has been reported a few times in the literature, but most reports define the disease as acute, severe, and having a high mortality rate. We report the case of a 58-year-old male with subacute bacterial endocarditis due to Streptococcus pneumoniae. We stress the low frequency of this agent as a cause of endocarditis and the atypical evolution of this case. The pathophysiology, clinical manifestations and evolution, and the therapeutical options for this type of infection are also discussed.

Aortic Valve↗

[Eikenella corrodens infective endocarditis].

The HACEK microorganisms (Haemophilus spp, Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, Cardiobacterium hominis, Eikenella corrodens, and Kingella kingae) account for 3% of the cases of endocarditis. They have the following similar clinical and microbiological properties: are Gram-negative bacilli, more easily isolated in aerobic media; their cultures require prolonged incubation time for growing (mean, 3.3 days); and may be considered part of normal flora of upper respiratory tract and oropharynx. The following characteristics have been identified in endocarditis caused by the HACEK microorganisms: insidious clinical findings; difficult diagnosis due to the fastidious nature of the microorganisms; and negative cultures. The Eikenella corrodens endocarditis was first described in 1972. That microorganism continues to be a rare etiological agent. We report the case of a female patient with native valve, who had Eikenella corrodens infective endocarditis.

Adult↗

Once-daily aminoglycoside in the treatment of Enterococcus faecalis endocarditis: case report and review.

Once-daily administration of aminoglycosides (ODA) is effective and safe for many indications. By optimizing pharmacodynamic principles, it enhances bactericidal activity and minimizes toxicity. Its use for the treatment of enterococcal infection is controversial, however, and results of in vitro studies and animal models of endocarditis are conflicting. To date, no case reports or clinical trials have examined its utility in human enterococcal endocarditis. A patient with right-sided endocarditis caused by Enterococcus faecalis was managed by once-daily gentamicin. Clinical and bacteriologic cures of this patient raise questions as to whether enterococcal endocarditis should be regarded as contraindication to ODA. The clinical utility of ODA in this disease deserves further investigation.

Adult↗

Antibiotic-resistant endocarditis in a hemodialysis patient.

A chronic dialysis patient developed persistent bacteremia as a result of infection with Enterococcus faecium. During the patient's illness, resistance to ampicillin, gentamicin, vancomycin, and teicoplanin developed. Despite arteriovenous (AV) graft removal and an extensive but inconclusive search for the source of the infection, bacteremia persisted. On autopsy, the patient was found to have had aortic-valve endocarditis. Endocarditis is a well-known complication in dialysis patients. Multidrug-resistant organisms are becoming more prevalent in hospitalized patients as well. Risk factors for the development of endocarditis in dialysis patients include catheters, AV grafts, and calcific valvular disease, all in conjunction with frequent access to the circulation. Avoidance of temporary catheter use by prompt placement of AV fistulas or grafts and consideration of their early use, the meticulous care of catheters once in place, and treatment of the nasal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus may lower the incidence of bacteremia and therefore endocarditis in dialysis patients. The removal of infected catheters and/or AV grafts if prompt clearing of the blood with antibiotics does not occur is the next step, followed by valve replacement in selected cases. The routine use of vancomycin in the dialysis population should be reevaluated in light of the development of high-level antibiotic-resistant organisms.

Ampicillin↗

Suppression of penicillin-resistant oral Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans with tetracycline. Considerations in endocarditis prophylaxis.

Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans is an oral bacterium which is being encountered with increasing frequency in infective endocarditis. This organism occurs in high numbers in periodontitis lesions of patients with localized juvenile periodontitis (periodontosis). It is present infrequently, and only in low numbers in most other individuals. Its common resistance to penicillin, erythromycin and vancomycin represents a clinical problem in patients at risk of developing endocarditis after dental treatment. However, the high activity of tetracyclines against A. actinomycetemcomitans may be useful in prophylactic endocarditis considerations by allowing a suppression of the organism prior to the institution of recommended prophylactic protocols. In this study, we determined the effect of systemic tetracycline-HCl therapy (1 gm/day) on the oral A. actinomycetemcomitans population in five localized juvenile periodontitis patients who were heavily infected with the organism. A. actinomycetemcomitans could not be detected in samples of subgingival and supragingival dental plaque and cheek mucosal surfaces following 14 days of administration of systemic tetracycline. The organism was still undetectable 3 weeks after therapy but it reappeared at a few oral sites at week 8 post-treatment. On the basis of this data, it is proposed that the prophylactic endocarditis therapy of patients with high numbers of penicillin-resistant A. actinomycetemcomitans include a two-stage approach: first, the systemic administration of tetracycline for 14 days, and second, institution of a conventional prophylactic protocol during the time of dental treatment.

Actinobacillus↗

Infective endocarditis. Current recommendations for prophylaxis.

Antibiotic prophylaxis is indicated for any patient with a predisposing cardiac lesion who undergoes a procedure likely to produce bacteraemia with an organism having the propensity to cause bacterial endocarditis. Cardiac abnormalities have been ranked according to their approximate risk and it is known that the organisms most likely to cause endocarditis are viridans streptococci, Group D streptococci and staphylococci. The procedures likely to induce bacteraemia with each of these are, respectively, dental and upper respiratory with bleeding, urinary and gastrointestinal, and cardiac valve surgery. Antibiotic prophylaxis is impractical when bacteraemia cannot be anticipated and is unnecessary when it is due to organisms such as anaerobes and Gram-negative bacilli which rarely colonise the endocardium. A variety of prophylactic antibiotic regimens, directed against the common aetiological organisms, have been evaluated in animal models of infective endocarditis and it is on the basis of this kind of indirect evidence that several expert committees have made and regularly update their recommendations. Because infective endocarditis is an uncommon disease, a controlled clinical trial to prove the efficacy of prophylaxis would require the enrolment of a prohibitive number of patients. Consequently, there is room for differences of opinion over what constitutes optimum prophylaxis in any particular situation. This review examines the rationale for prophylaxis and compares and contrasts several authoritative recommendations, among which the trend in recent years has been towards simpler oral regimens.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

Enterobacter endocarditis.

Endocarditis due to Enterobacter species is very rare. We recently cared for a patient who developed E. cloacae endocarditis following mitral valve replacement with a porcine heterograft, and was successfully treated with antibiotic therapy alone. A review of the literature disclosed an additional 17 well-described cases of enterobacter endocarditis. Two-thirds of the patients had underlying cardiac disease. The mitral valve was most frequently involved (10/16 cases) with 4 of the patients having concomitant aortic valve involvement. The overall mortality rate was 44.4%. Antibiotic therapy of enterobacter endocarditis should consist of the combination of a beta-lactam antibiotic and an aminoglycoside with careful monitoring of blood cultures to assure the adequacy of therapy. Resistance of enterobacter to previously susceptible antibiotics may occur during therapy due to induction of a chromosomally-mediated beta-lactamase, necessitating a change in antimicrobial therapy. Valvular surgery is indicated for patients failing medical management.

Endocarditis, Bacterial↗

Bacterial endocarditis. I. A prospective study of etiology, underlying factors and foci of infection.

In a prospective clinical and bacteriological study of 192 consecutive patients with septicemia admitted during the period 1967--1971 to a hospital for infectious diseases, 31 cases of proved (group I) and 10 with probably (group II) bacterial endocarditis were observed and analysed with regard to a variety of factors. The incidence of bacterial endocarditis was 3 per 1 000 admissions. The mean age of the patients was 52.6 years; there was no sex predominance. In about one third of the patients apparently normal valves were involved. Underlying non-cardiac factors were present in two thirds, even in younger age groups, in which chronic alcoholism and intravenous drug abuse were frequent. Secondary manifestations from various organs were noted in about three quarters of the patients, in one quarter already on admission. alpha-Hemolytic streptococci and staphylococci were most commonly isolated, followed by gram-negative enteric rods, beta-hemolytic streptococci, enterococci, and pneumococci. A probable portal of entry could be assumed in 80% of the patients and could often be related to the type of bacteria involved. In some cases, diagnostic or therapeutic procedures preceded the disease. A subacute course of the endocarditis was observed in one third of the patients and all these had alpha-hemolytic streptococci or enterococci. The aortic and mitral valves were equally often involved and equally often infected by alpha-hemolytic streptococci. In 4 patients, 3 of whom were drug addicts, the tricuspid valve was probably involved; all were infected by staphylococci. In one case autopsy revealed a mural endocarditis.

Adolescent↗

Haemophilus parainfluenza--an uncommon cause of septicemia and endocarditis.

6 cases of endocarditis and 1 of septicemia caused by Haemophilus parainfluenzae have been observed in our hospital from 1970 to 1977, as against no case from 1957 to 1969. The mean age of the patients was 46 years. The clinical picture did not differ from that seen in cases of septicemia and endocarditis from other cases. In 4 cases no underlying heart disease was known. In 2 of them, endocarditis developed in the mitral and in 1 in the aortic valve. Of 3 patients with preexisting heart disease, 2 had involvement of the aortic valve and 1 of the mitral valve. Six patients were cured, 2 or possible 3 by treatment with ampicillin, 2 with cephalothin, and 1 with co-trimoxazole. In 2 patients intractable heart failure necessitated the insertion of prosthetic valves, and 1 patient died. Thus, cases of septicemia and endocarditis due to H. parainfluenzae have been observed only in recent years and they appear to be serious infections.

Endocarditis, Bacterial↗

Comparative molecular and microbiologic diagnosis of bacterial endocarditis.

Sequencing of 16S rDNA, and of sodAint and rpoBint in some cases, was applied to DNA from heart valves of 46 patients (36 with definite and 10 with possible endocarditis). Sequence-based identifications were compared with those obtained with conventional methods. Among the 36 definite cases, 30 had positive blood cultures and 6 had negative cultures. Among the 30 positive cases, sequencing of 16S rDNA permitted identification of species (18), genus (8), or neither (4); sodAint and rpoBint sequencing was necessary for species identification in 8 cases. Species identifications were identical in only 61.5%, when conventional techniques and DNA sequencing were used. In five of the six blood culture-negative endocarditis cases, sequencing identified Bartonella quintana (3), B. henselae (1), and Streptococcus gallolyticus (1). Our results demonstrate a clear benefit of molecular identification, particularly in cases of blood culture-negative endocarditis and of possible endocarditis, to confirm or invalidate the diagnosis. Moreover, in 19.4% of the definite cases, the improvement in species identification by sequencing led to improved patient management.

Adult↗