The diagnostic ability of echocardiography for infective endocarditis and its associated complications

Echocardiography, transthoracic and transoesophageal, plays a key role in the diagnosis and prognosis assessment of patients with infective endocarditis. It constitutes a major Duke criterion and is pivotal in treatment guiding. Seven echocardiographic findings are major criteria in the diagnosis of infective endocarditis (IE) (vegetation, abscess, pseudoaneurysm, fistulae, new dehiscence of a prosthetic valve, perforation and valve aneurysm). Echocardiography must be performed as soon as endocarditis is suspected. Transoesophageal echocardiography should be done in most cases of left-sided endocarditis to better define the anatomic lesions and to rule out local complications. Transoesophageal echocardiography is not necessary in isolated right-sided native valve IE with good quality transthoracic examination and unequivocal echocardiographic findings. Echocardiography is a very useful tool to assess the prognosis of patients with IE at any time during the course of the disease. Echocardiographic predictors of poor outcome include presence of periannular complications, prosthetic dysfunction, low left ventricular ejection fraction, pulmonary hypertension and very large vegetations.     

Seven-year survey of infective endocarditis at Keio University Hospital

To determine the recent clinical features of infective endocarditis (IE), the author evaluated data on 19 cases of 16 patients with IE who were treated at Keio University Hospital between April 1, 1987 and March 31, 1994. There were 13 men and 3 women aged 24 to 65 years (mean 43.4 years). Echocardiography revealed the presence of valve vegetation in 12 patients. Viridans streptococci were the most common pathogen, and were identified in seven cases. Two cases of native valve endocarditis (NVE) due toStreptococcus agalactiae and three cases due to group D streptococci (two of which were identified asEnterococcus faecalis) were encountered. One of two cases infected wthS. agalactiae had no underlying diseases. NVE due to viridans streptococci,S. agalactiae, and group D streptococcus was successfully treated with penicillin G or ampicillin combined with gentamicin. One case of NVE due to methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus improved following treatment with a combination of cefmetazole and fosfomycin. Five patients underwent valve replacement surgery following antimicrobial therapy. One of these patients developed later endocarditis on the prosthetic valve. Three patients developed recurrent NVE. All but one of the 16 patients survived; the single death was due to a cerebral infarction. Based on these results, the author believes that currently available antibiotics are efficacious against IE.     

Tricuspid valve endocarditis: Cardiovascular imaging evaluation and management

Right-sided infective endocarditis is an increasingly recognized disease entity, with tricuspid valve being most frequently involved. Risk factors for tricuspid valve endocarditis (TVIE) include intravenous drug use, cardiac implantable electronic devices and indwelling catheters. Staphylococcus aureus is the predominant causative organism in TVIE. The diagnosis of infective endocarditis (IE) is based on clinical manifestations, blood cultures, and the presence of valvular vegetations detected by echocardiography. Complementary imaging is helpful when there is ongoing clinical suspicion for IE following initially negative echocardiography. Multislice computed tomography allows for assessment of extra-cardiac complications in TVIE, including pulmonary septic emboli. 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography and radiolabelled white blood cell, single-photon emission computed tomography provide important clinical information concerning the presence of IE in right-sided prosthetic valves or cardiac implantable electronic devices. The aim of this review is to provide an update on TVIE, discussing the role of multimodality imaging in TVIE and the management of these patients.     

Time interval between infective endocarditis first symptoms and diagnosis: relationship to infective endocarditis characteristics,microorganisms and prognosis

Objective: To analyze the characteristics and outcome of infective endocarditis (IE) according to the time interval between IE first symptoms and diagnosis.

Methods: Among the IE cases of a French population-based epidemiological survey, patients having early-diagnosed IE (diagnosis of IE within 1 month of first symptoms) were compared with those having late-diagnosed IE (diagnosis of IE more than 1 month after first symptoms).

Results: Among the 486 definite-IE, 124 (25%) had late-diagnosed IE whereas others had early-diagnosed IE. Early-diagnosed IE were independently associated with female gender (OR?=?1.8; 95% CI [1.0–3.0]), prosthetic valve (OR=?2.6; 95% CI [1.4–5.0]) and staphylococci as causative pathogen (OR?=?3.7; 95% CI [2.2–6.2]). Cardiac surgery theoretical indication rates were not different between early and late-diagnosed IE (56.3% vs 58.9%), whereas valve surgery performance was lower in early-diagnosed IE (41% vs 53%; p?=?.03). In-hospital mortality rates were higher in early-diagnosed IE than in late-diagnosed IE (25.1% vs 16.1%; p?Conclusions: The time interval between IE first symptoms and diagnosis is closely related to the IE clinical presentation, patient characteristics and causative microorganism. Better prognosis reported in late-diagnosed IE may be related to a higher rate of valvular surgery.

• KEY MESSAGES

• Infective endocarditis, which time interval between first symptoms and diagnosis was less than one month, were mainly due to Staphylococcus aureus in France.

• Staphylococcus aureus infective endocarditis were associated with septic shock, transient ischemic attack or stroke and higher mortality rates than infective endocarditis due to other bacteria or infective endocarditis, which time interval between first symptoms and diagnosis was more than one month.

• Infective endocarditis, which time interval between first symptoms and diagnosis was more than one month, were accounting for one quarter of all infective endocarditis in our study and were associated with vertebral osteomyelitis and a higher rate of cardiac surgery performed for hemodynamic indication than other infective endocarditis.

     

葡萄球菌感染性心内膜炎46例临床分析

目的 探讨葡萄球菌感染性心内膜炎(IE)患者的临床和病原学特征,为临床诊治提供依据.方法 对北京协和医院2011年至2018年住院治疗的46例葡萄球菌IE患者进行回顾性分析.结果 本组46例葡萄球菌IE,占同期诊断的425例IE总数的10.8％.发热(97.8％)是最常见的临床表现,其次是贫血(73.3％)和心脏杂音(...     

A successful salvage therapy with daptomycin and linezolid for right-sided infective endocarditis and septic pulmonary embolism caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Although vancomycin administration is recommended for the treatment of infective endocarditis (IE) caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), it is unclear whether an alternative agent, daptomycin, can be used to treat IE with pulmonary complications. A 26-year-old female who had undergone surgical repair of a ventricular septal defect as an early teenager presented with fever, headache, and vomiting. She was admitted to our hospital and diagnosed with right-sided IE with septic pulmonary embolism caused by MRSA. Vancomycin, rifampicin, and gentamicin were administered; however, exacerbation of drug eruption due to the antimicrobial agents on the 11th day led us to switch from vancomycin and rifampicin to daptomycin. Furthermore, we included linezolid to treat lung abscesses that accompanied the septic pulmonary embolism. We confirmed negative blood cultures on the 18th day. On the same day, a patch closure for the ventricular septal defect and tricuspid valve replacement were performed. She was discharged on the 65th day with an uneventful postoperative course. This experience suggests that daptomycin and linezolid are effective salvage therapies for right-sided IE caused by MRSA and accompanied by pulmonary complications.     

活动期感染性心内膜炎手术时机的分析

目的 探讨活动期感染性心内膜炎(infectiue endocarditis,IE)患者心脏手术的最佳时期.方法 回顾分析1999年9月-2009年9月行外科治疗的92例IE患者的临床资料.IE诊断标准为修订的Duke标准.采用SPSS 12.0软件包,分析了年龄、性别、是否是院内感染IE、合并症(糖尿病、慢性阻塞性肿...     

Pacemaker endocarditis in patients with prosthetic valve replacements: case trilogy and literature review

Infective endocarditis is not uncommon in patients with both a permanent pacemaker system and a prosthetic valve. No guidelines exist to aid management. The recommendations for pacemaker infective endocarditis alone are limited and contradictory. We present a case trilogy and literature review that highlights these shortcomings and the challenges facing physicians. Complete extraction of the infected pacemaker system is essential. The timing of extraction, duration of antibiotic therapy, and timing of reimplantation are all controversial. The presence of a concomitant prosthetic valve exacerbates these dilemmas further.     

Infective endocarditis: too ill to be operated?

Infective endocarditis remains a disease associated with high mortality in certain groups of patients, with death resulting primarily from central nervous system complications and congestive heart failure. Combined medical and surgical therapy reduces both early and late mortality in complicated cases, especially in patients with valvular dysfunction related to heart failure. In these patients, heart failure is the strongest indication for valve replacement. There are no consensus indications for surgery, however, in the presence of neurological complications or multiple organ failure. Limited data suggest that such surgery is feasible, even in complicated cases necessitating admission to the intensive care unit, and carries an acceptable risk for in-hospital mortality. It is important that critically ill patients with infective endocarditis are enrolled into multicenter studies, using adequate severity scoring systems to assess the impact of clinical and imaging variables on patients' outcome. Until such data are obtained, clinical judgement is still the best tool in decision-making regarding the individual patient.     

二尖瓣置换术后感染性心内膜炎的治疗

目的 回顾二尖瓣人工瓣膜置换术(MVR)后感染性心内膜炎(PVE)患者的治疗经验.方法 1979年9月至2010年12月,我科共收治依据修正的Duke大学诊断标准确诊的MVR术后的PVE患者16例,男10例,女6例;年龄19～55岁,中位年龄28岁,PVE的发生率为0.97％(16/1657).术前血培养阳性5例;单纯内科保守治疗10例;内、外科联合治疗6例,其中1例因难以纠治的心力衰竭急诊手术,另5例经抗生素治疗,全身情况改善后择期手术;手术拆除感染的人工瓣膜后彻底清除周围的感染组织和赘生物,用稀释的氟氯溴碘溶液及大量生理盐水反复冲洗,重新置换新的人工瓣膜,同期行三尖瓣成形(TVR)3例.结果 采用单纯内科方法治愈2例,死亡8例,其中死于中毒性休克、心力衰竭4例,死于脑部并发症(包括脑栓塞、脑出血)、多器官功能衰竭4例;内、外科联合方法治愈6例.术后随访8例,随访时间1.7～16年,平均5.1年.随访期间除1例患者于术后8年由于二尖瓣人工机械瓣瓣周漏和重度三尖瓣关闭不全而行瓣周漏修补加三尖瓣置换外,其余7例随访患者无感染复发.结论 内、外科联合治疗MVR术后PVE患者效果优于单纯内科治疗.及时诊断、足量足时敏感抗生素的应用、把握手术时机、感染组织的彻底清除、术中良好的心肌保护是预后的关键.     

感染性心内膜炎的外科治疗(附41例报告)

目的 总结感染性心内膜炎的外科治疗经验。方法 41例感染性心内膜炎患者均在体外循环下进行病灶清除，同时行瓣膜置换和成形33例。其中主动脉瓣置换11例，二尖瓣置换6例，双瓣膜置换8例，人工瓣再置换3例，三尖瓣修复5例，法乐氏四联症3例；同期处理动脉导管未闭1例，室间隔缺损5例，主动脉窦瘤破裂2例。结果 无手术后早期死亡，1例6个月后死于心衰，1例10个月后复发，余39例恢复良好。结论 外科治疗感染性心内膜炎的疗效良好，手术时机的把握和围手术期的正确处理是治疗成败的关键。     

Echocardiography in infective endocarditis.

BACKGROUND: Echocardiographic demonstration of valvular infection now ranks with positive blood cultures as one of the two major clinical criteria for diagnosis of infective endocarditis (IE), according to new, more accurate guidelines for diagnosis. Because early detection of IE and its complications is essential for determining whether to pursue medical therapy or to intervene surgically, transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) is an essential part of the initial examination of patients with suspected IE. METHODS: Using MEDLINE, we searched and reviewed all articles with the key words infective endocarditis and transesophageal echocardiography. RESULTS: With its superior imaging, transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) has proven to be more sensitive than TTE for the diagnosis of IE as well as in the detection of IE-associated complications. CONCLUSIONS: While superior in predicting which patients with IE have perivalvular abscess or prosthetic valve dysfunction and which are most susceptible to systemic embolism, TEE is more invasive and must be used selectively.     

术中经食管超声在心脏瓣膜置换术后异常情况诊疗中的应用

目的评价术中经食管超声心动图(IOTEE)在心脏瓣膜置换术后异常情况诊疗中的作用。方法回顾性分析45例心脏瓣膜置换术后发生异常情况患者,对IOTEE在诊断及治疗心脏瓣膜置换术后异常情况中的作用进行评估及分析。结果 45例心脏瓣膜置换术后发生异常并发症的患者中,IOTEE检出瓣周漏23例(23/45,51.11%),卡瓣4例(4/45,8.89%),室壁运动异常6例(6/45,13.33%),感染性心内膜炎6例(6/45,13.33%),人工瓣膜狭窄4例(4/45,8.89%),升主动脉与胸骨粘连2例(2/45,4.44%),均经手术证实。结论 IOTEE可检出心脏瓣膜置换术后瓣周漏、人工瓣膜卡瓣、感染性心内膜炎等异常情况,帮助术者正确判断并及时处理。     

超声心动图诊断感染性心内膜炎的临床价值

目的 评价超声心动图在感染性心内膜炎(infective endocarditis，IE)诊断中的价值。方法 分析总结38例IE患者的临床和超声心动图资料。结果 IE多发生于原有器质性心脏病基础上，以风心病和先心病为主。赘生物有附着位置、大小、形态及随病程变化多种超声特点。超声心动图可检出瓣膜脱垂、腱索断裂和瓣周脓肿等心脏内并发症。结论 超声能为临床提供IE患者的基础心脏病因、诊断、鉴别诊断、指导治疗和判断预后等具有重要价值的信息。     

活动期感染性心内膜炎手术治疗的近远期疗效

  目的  回顾性分析北京协和医院71例活动期感染性心内膜炎(active infective endocarditis, AIE)患者手术治疗的近远期疗效。  方法  2001年1月至2010年7月, 根据杜克诊断标准(Duke criteria)共确诊感染性心内膜炎(infective endocarditis, IE)209例, 78例接受了手术治疗, 选择其中71例活动期感染性心内膜炎患者的临床资料, 进行回顾性分析; 排除病例包括同期人工瓣膜感染性心内膜炎和愈合期心内膜炎。  结果  71例活动期感染性心内膜炎患者的平均年龄为(44.6±14.4)岁, 其中男性55例(77.5%)。链球菌是最常见的致病菌。术后住院期间死亡2例(2.8%)。平均随访时间(42.4±32.4)个月(1~126个月), 1、5和10年实际生存率分别为(98.5±1.5)%、(92.6±4.5)%和(79.4±12.8)%。  结论  手术治疗活动期感染性心内膜炎的近远期临床疗效满意。     

Antibiotics: how to use them in 1977-1978. Cases 21, 22, and 23

Self-assessment case studies illustrating prudent selection of antimicrobial agents in septic shock following urinary catheterization, bacteremia and skin lesions in an immunocompromised patient, and endocarditis in a patient with a prosthetic heart valve.     

Appropriate use of echocardiography in managing Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia

Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB) is increasing, both in the community and in healthcare settings. Accurate and timely diagnosis of underlying infective endocarditis (IE) is critical for optimal management of SAB cases as it has significant management and prognostic implications. Reported prevalence of IE in patients with SAB varies depending on the study population, and ranges from 10 to 30%. As clinical presentation of IE can be nonspecific, echocardiography is usually recommended in SAB cases to ‘rule out’ IE. Due to its poor sensitivity (<50%), especially for diagnosing prosthetic valve IE, transthoracic echocardiography is considered inadequate in this setting and clinicians have to rely on transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) to confirm or exclude endocarditis in SAB cases. Although some experts recommend TEE in all patients presenting with SAB, it is believed that the use of TEE could be guided by individual patient risk factors, mode of acquisition of SAB and clinical presentation. In this article, published data regarding the use of TEE in the SAB population are reviewed and a simplified algorithm to guide use of TEE in SAB cases is proposed.     

Effects on management and outcome of severe sepsis and septic shock patients admitted to the intensive care unit after implementation of a sepsis program: a pilot study

Introduction  

The application in clinical practice of evidence-based guidelines for the management of patients with severe sepsis/septic shock is still poor in the emergency department, while little data are available for patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of an in-hospital sepsis program on the adherence to evidence-based guidelines and outcome of patients with severe sepsis/septic shock admitted to the ICU.     

Results of observation of infective endocarditis patients during 1965-2005

AIM: To clarify the trends in infective endocarditis by our experience for 40 years. MATERIAL AND METHODS: During the last 40 years (1965-2005) we observed 620 patients with infective endocarditis (IE). There were 615 patients with subacute IE (99.2%) and only 5 patients with acute IE (0.8%). There were 402 males (66.8%) and 218 females (35.2%). The age was 16-84 years (mean age 53 +/- 17). We studied the finding of hemoculture, echocardiography, immunological investigations, the levels of C-reactive protein. RESULTS: Streptococcal endocarditis runs a standard course, but more often we encountered staphylococcal, enterococcal endocarditis with a severe course. Predisposing cardiac disorders in 264 IE patients were rheumatic heart disease, congenital heart disease, mitral prolapse, involutive valve disease, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, prosthetic valve. CONCLUSION: Conventional and unconventional IE cases, recurrent IE, current criteria of IE are described.     

Prosthetic valve endocarditis developing after an infected scalp laceration

This case report describes a 21-year-old man who developed prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) from an infected scalp laceration. Despite intravenous antibiotic therapy, the infectious process could not be controlled and the patient required replacement of the aortic valve. Our patient is the fourth case of late PVE occurring after a subcutaneous infection. In each case, antibiotic prophylaxis of infective endocarditis was not practiced. Current antibiotic regimens for prophylaxis of PVE are reviewed.