Incidence of bacteraemia or fever during transoesophageal echocardiography: a prospective study of 82 patients

The incidence of bacteraemia during transoesophageal echocardiography(TEE) was evaluated in a prospective study of 82 consecutivepatients. Three series of blood cultures were carried out foreach patient: from group 1 (n=44), prior to the examination,at the end of the examination and 15min afterwards. For group2 (n=38), blood cultures were performed prior to the examination,10 min after the start and immediately after the end. A singlepositive blood culture was detected in two patients. For thefirst patient, blood culture at the end of the examination demonstratedCorynebacteria, and for the second, Staphylococcus epidermidiswas identified on cultures taken during the examination. Duringthe first 24 h, a transient subfebrile temperature was recordedin 15% of the patients, including the patient with the Corynebacteriapositiveblood culture. By mid-term (6 months) no patient had developedendocarditis.Ourfindings suggest that antibiotic prophylaxis during TEE isnot warranted.