Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
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 (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]
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 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) is an independent non-profit, non-governmental professional association that works to advance the prevention, diagnosis and management of diseases of the heart and blood vessels, and improve scientific understanding of the heart and vascular system. [2]
A study in Detroit, Michigan compared 53 patients treated for suspected MRSA skin or soft tissue infection with daptomycin against vancomycin, showing faster recovery (4 versus 7 days) with daptomycin. [25] In Phase III clinical trials, limited data showed daptomycin to be associated with poor outcomes in patients with left-sided endocarditis.
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]