Infective endocarditis

Like Discitis, an insidious form of infection
Etiology - Staph aureus (historically this was S viridans - no longer in the UK!)
- coagulase-negative Staph
- S bovis (associated with colorectal Ca)

50% of cases are in people with normal valves.

Culture negative
- Coxiella burnetii
- Bartonella
- Brucella
- HACEK: Haemophilus, Actinobacillus, Cardiobacterium, Eikenella, Kingella)
Epidemiology risk factors: cardiac lesions and predisposition to infection
Cardiac lesions - prosthetic valve, rheumatic heart disease, congenital heart disease
Infection - IVDU, haemodialysis, long lines, high risk surgery, immunosuppressed
Clinical presentation - malaise, night sweats, anaemia, weight loss
- cardiogenic shock and sepsis
- haematuria (glomerulonephritis)
- embolic complications - stroke (if PFO), septic pulmonary emboli, mycotic aneursym
Pathogenesis
Investigations ECG: prolonged PR interval, p mitrale, TWI
Blood cultures (90% of the time positive)
- 3 sets, at least 1h apart
- repeat blood cultures 48-72h after starting abx

Echo: TTE = 60% sensitive, TOE = 90-99% sensitive, specificity of 90%

See Duke criteria
Management: So passmed says amox and gent...
MRCEM success says
native valve - amox or vanc+gent
prosthetic valve - vanc+gent+rifampicin
staph - fluclox
strep - benpen
HACEK - amox+gent

Lister guidelines say:
- native valve = fluclox, gent, unless MRSA colonised → vancomycin
- prosthetic valve = as above, add rifampicin
- you know it's gonna be a long chat with Dr Foka
Suffice to say ymmv...

Staph aureus bacteraemia - think IE

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