infective endocarditis

infective endocarditis

n.

See infectious endocarditis.

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infective endocarditis.

See bacterial endocarditis.

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infective endocarditis

Acute endocarditis; bacterial endocarditis; subacute endocarditis Cardiology An infection of the endocardium which may involve the valves and extend to the myocardium, often occurring in Pts with underlying heart disease Sources of infection Transient bacteremia, common during dental, upper respiratory, urologic, and lower GI diagnostic and surgical procedures; IE may result in vegetations on valves, endocardium and the vascular intima, which may become dislodged and send clots to the brain, lungs, kidneys, or spleen Agents S viridans causes ±50% of IE, staphylococcus and group D streptococcus, Pseudomonas spp, Serratia spp Candida spp Clinical Sx develop slowly over months–subacute or abruptly; fever, fatigue, malaise, headache, night sweats, splinter hemorrhages under fingernails, heart murmurs due to vegetations especially on the mitral valve, splenomegaly, anemia Risk factors Congenital heart disease, ASD, PDA, etc; prior rheumatic heart disease; heart valve defects–eg, mitral insufficiency, prosthetic valves Prophylaxis Antiobiotics before surgery in in at-risk Pts. See Endocarditis.