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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 .
Currently, there are official guidelines for dental antibiotic prophylaxis for the prevention of infective endocarditis and of infection of prosthetic joint. These guidelines are in constant controversy and revisions by various professional committees.
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]
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]
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.
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 ...
The most common Rothia infection is endocarditis, typically in people with underlying heart valve disorders. [3] Literature case reports show other tissues that are rarely infected include the peritoneum, [4] tonsils, [5] lung, [3] cornea, [6] inner layers of the eye (Endophthalmitis) [7] and brain and intercranial tissues. [3]
The nodes are commonly indicative of subacute bacterial endocarditis. [3] 10–25% of endocarditis patients will have Osler's nodes. [4] Other signs of endocarditis include Roth's spots and Janeway lesions. The latter, which also occur on the palms and soles, can be differentiated from Osler's nodes because they are non-tender. [2]