Endocarditis, Myocarditis, Pericarditis Flashcards
what does the presence of bacteria in the bloodstream indicate?
there is a focus of infection elsewhere in the body
what staphylococcus species is the most likely to infect prosthetic material?
staphylococcus epidermidis
what is infective endocarditis?
infection of the endothelium of the heart valves
what are the 4 main classes of predisposing factors for infective endocarditis?
heart valve abnormality
prosthetic heart valve
IVDU
intravascular lines
what type of heart valve abnormalities predispose to infective endocarditis?
calcification/sclerosis of heart valves (in elderly)
congenital heart disease
post rheumatic fever
what is the pathogenesis of infective endocarditis?
- heart valve damaged
- turbulent blood flow over roughened endothelium
- platelets/fibrin depositis forming a thrombi
- bacteraemia (possibly transient)
- organisms settle in fibrin/platelet thrombi becoming a microbial vegetation
what is the most common side of the heart to be affected?
left side
mitral and aortic valves
what are the 4 main organisms causing endocarditis of native valves?
staphylococcus aureus
viridans streptococci
enterococcus sp
staphylococcus epidermidis
what are the 3 classes of unusual organisms that can cause endocarditis?
atypicals (eg chlamydia psittaci, coxiella burnetii)
gram-negatives
fungi
what is the presentation of acute endocarditis?
overwhelming sepsis and cardiac failure
what is the presentation of subacute endocarditis?
fever malasie weight loss tiredness breathlessness
what are the sings on examination of infective endocarditis?
Fever Roth spots Osler nodes Murmur (new or changing) Janeway lesions Anaemia Nail (splinter) haemorrhages Emboli \+ finger clubbing, splenomegaly
what can present in the urine of a patient with infective endocarditis?
(microscopic) haematuria
how do you diagnose infective endocarditis?
take 3 sets of blood cultures before antibiotics
echocardiogram
why must you take 3 sets of blood cultures for diagnosing infective endocarditis?
to ensure you haven’t just identified a contaminent
if you suspect infective endocarditis but all 3 blood cultures are negative what should you do?
consider serology for ‘atypical’ organisms
what are the 2 types of prosthetic valve endocarditis?
early
late