INFECTIVE ENDOCARDITIS (IE)
It is the colonisation of the heart valves with microbiological organisms, leading to the formation of friable, infected vegetations and frequently valve injury.
Types
- ACUTE INFECTIVE ENDOCARDITIS : caused by highly virulent organisms mainly Staphylococcus Aureus (20-30%), seeding a previously normal valve.
- SUBACUTE INFECTIVE ENDOCARDITIS : caused by organisms of moderate or low virulence mainly STREPTOCOCCI (60-70%), seeding an abnormal or previously injured valve.
- ENDOCARDITIS OCCURING IN I/V DRUG ABUSERS : caused predominantly by organisms found on the skin (S. aureus, Candida) and affecting the valves on the right side of the heart.
- PROSTHETIC VALVE ENDOCARDITIS : This may be early ( symptoms appearing within 60 days of valve insertion ), due to intraoperative infection of the valve or insertion of an infected valve or late ( after 60 days of valve insertion), due to late bacteremia.
Predisposing factors to developement of IE
- Congenital cardiac anomalies (shunts or stenosis with jet streams)
- Rheumatic heart disease
- Mitral valve prolapse
- Degenerative calcific stenosis
- Bicuspid aortic valve
- Prosthetic valves
- Indwelling catheters.
Clinical Manifestations
Symptoms
- Fever
- Malaise
- Fatigue
- Anorexia.
Signs
- Clubbing
- Splenomegaly
- Pallor (anaemia)
- Heart murmurs ( esp. regurgitant murmurs, or changing murmur)
- Petechiae (seen after 6 weeks over conjunctiva, buccal mucosa, palate and skin above clavicle)
- Splinter subungual haemorrhages
- Osler nodes (small tender nodules, on the fingers or toe pads as a result of septic emboli and immune complex deposition)
- Janeway lesions (1-4 mm non-tender erythematous macules over palms and soles due to septic emboli)
- Roth's spots : oval retinal haemorrhages with a pale centre.
- Arthralgia or arthritis.
Lab Diagnosis
Blood culture
- At least 3 blood culture samples and maximum of 6 culture samples to be taken.
- Each samples to be collected from different venipuncture sites and after 30 min to 1 hour gap to demonstrate continuous bacteraemia.
- At least 10 ml of blood to be obtained for culture and diluted 10 fold in culture medium.
- Culture to be done for both aerobic and anaerobic organisms.
- Yield of positive culture increased by observing them over 3 weeks and making periodic subcultures.
- Presumptive antibiotics to be started immediately after obtaining culture samples.
- Infection with fastidious organisms (H.parainfluenza, Brucella)
- Anaerobic infection
- Candida, Aspergillus, Histoplasma, Coxiella burnetii, Chlamydia psittaci endocarditis
- Inadequate quantity of blood sample for culture or inadequate amount of culture media
- Prior antibiotic therapy
- Right sided endocarditis.
2D ECHO
- The smallest size of vegetation that can be picked up by echo is 2 mm.
- Transeosophageal echocardiography is more sensitive in detecting vegetations in the aortic valve and mitral valve than transthoracic echocardiography.
DUKE'S CRITERIA
MAJOR CRITERIA :
- Positive blood culture
- Involvement of endocardium
MINOR CRITERIA :
- Predisposition (cardiac lesion, IV drug abuse)
- Fever >38°C
- Vascular or immunological signs
- Positive blood culture - that does not meet major criteria
- Positive echo - that does not meet major criteria
DIAGNOSIS :
Diagnosis confirmed by 2 major / 1 major + 3 minor / all 5 criteria.
INFECTIVE ENDOCARDITIS TREATMENT
- Inj. Benzyl penicillin 20 to 40 lakh units IV 4 hourly for 4 weeks.
- Parenteral aminoglycosides (SM, GM, Amikacin) given in appropriate divides doses for the first 2 weeks.
- Appropriate antibiotic changes may be made on receiving the results of blood culture.
PROPHYLAXIS IN IE
Capsule Amoxycillin 3 gm orally, 1 hour before the procedure and 1.5 gm orally 6 hours after the first dose.
INDICATIONS FOR SURGICAL MANAGEMENT
- Failure of medical treatment as indicated by persistent positive blood culture or refractory failure
- Myocardial or valve ring abscess
- Aortic valve endocarditis developing heart block
- Prosthetic valve endocarditis
- Presence of large vegetation with possible embolism
- Fungal endocarditis.
Some important images of signs
clubbing
splinter haemorrhage
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