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Infective endocarditis is an infection of the inner surface of the heart (endocardium), usually the valves. [1] Signs and symptoms may include fever , small areas of bleeding into the skin , heart murmur , feeling tired, and low red blood cell count .
Another form of sterile endocarditis is termed Libman–Sacks endocarditis; this form occurs more often in patients with lupus erythematosus and is thought to be due to the deposition of immune complexes. [2] Like NBTE, Libman-Sacks endocarditis involves small vegetations, while infective endocarditis is composed of large vegetations. [2]
Infective endocarditis used to be classified into groups like acute and subacute based on how quickly the infection developed, but nowadays the key is to identify that microbial cause of infection and to treat it as effectively as possible. Viridans Streptococci is the most common cause.
Infective Endocarditis (IE) is the infection of heart valves. [6] Previous beliefs were held that IE can be induced from dental procedures due to the invasive nature of treatment, therefore antibiotics were widely prescribed before dental treatment to prevent this.
Other strains of streptococci can cause subacute endocarditis as well. These include streptococcus intermedius, which can cause acute or subacute infection (about 15% of cases pertaining to infective endocarditis). [7] Enterococci from urinary tract infections and coagulase negative staphylococci can also be causative agents. [5]
The HACEK organisms are a group of fastidious Gram-negative bacteria that are an unusual cause of infective endocarditis, which is an inflammation of the heart due to bacterial infection. [1] HACEK is an abbreviation of the initials of the genera of this group of bacteria: Haemophilus , Aggregatibacter (previously Actinobacillus ...
Based on previous studies, though, the risk of endocarditis following cutaneous surgery is low and thus the use of antibiotic prophylaxis is controversial. Although this practice is appropriate for high-risk patients when skin is contaminated, it is not recommended for noneroded, noninfected skin.
Infective endocarditis is an infection of the endothelium lining of the heart. [5] Infective endocarditis is known to dentists as a post-operative infection and is very serious and life-threatening, especially to patients at high risk of developing the disease, due to a weakened heart.