Infective endocarditis Flashcards
What are risk factors for infective endocarditis?
- Acquired valvular heart disease with stenosis or regurgitation
- Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
- Previous IE
- Use of IV drug
- Recent vascular access (e.g. peripheral venous cannula)
- Recent dental work
- Structural congenital heart disease
- Valve replacement or implantation of a cardiac device
What are the signs and symptoms of infective endocarditis?
- Fever/chills
- Cardiac murmur
- Night sweats, malaise, fatigue anorexia, weight loss, myalgias
- Weakness
- Arthralgias
- Headache
- SOB
- Meningeal signs
- Janeway lesions
- Osler nodes
- Roth spots
- Splinter haemorrhages
What are some differential diagnosis for infective endocarditis?
- Rheumatic fever
- Atrial myxoma
- Libman-Sacks endocarditis
- Non-bacterial thrombotic endocarditis
What bloods do you order for infective endocarditis?
- Blood cultures
- FBC
- CRP
- Serum urea, electrolytes and glucose
- LFTs
What imaging do you do for IE?
- Echocardiography (transthor before oeso unless indicated)
- ECG
What other tests would you do for IE?
urinalysis
How do you take blood cultures is IE?
three sets of blood cultures from different venepuncture sites taken at 30 min interval before initiation of antibiotic therapy
What would the FBC show in IE?
normocytic, normochromic anaemia and 1/3 have leucocytosis with neutrophilia
What is the CRP like in IE?
raised
Why do you do serum urea, electrolytes, glucose and LFTs for IE?
show baseline
What may you see in echo for IE?
valvular, mobile vegetations
What could an ECG show in IE?
- can have conduction abnormalities secondary to IE
1. prolonged PR interval
2. non-specific ST/T wave abnormalities
3. AV block
Why do you do a urinalysis and what may you see for IE?
- can show septic emboli (complication of IE)
1. microscopic haematuria
2. RBC casts
3. WBC casts
4. proteinuria
5. pyuria
What is the 1st line treatment for initial suspected infective endocarditis?
- 1st line: supportive care
- Plus: empirical broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy
- Consider: surgery
What is the first line treatment for acute (native valve and prosthetic valve) confirmed IE?
- 1st line: Correct antibiotics: e.g. beta-lactam/vancomycin/amoxicillin/gentamicin or consult with infectious disease or microbiology
- Consider: surgery
- High dose 6 weeks - IV
- Follow up blood cultures