Infective Endocarditis and Rheumatic Heart Disease Flashcards
What is infective endocarditis?
Infection of the endocardium (inner layer of the heart)
What structures might be infected by infective endocarditis?
Heart valves
Interventricular septum
Chordae tendinae
Intra-cardiac devices
What is the change in the incidence and mortality of infective endocarditis in the last 30 years?
No change in either
What is the general prognosis and mortality of infective endocarditis?
Poor prognosis
High mortality
What factors affect the prognosis and morality from infective endocarditis?
Underlying cardiac disease
Micro-organism involved
Presence of complications
Patient characteristics
What professions are involved in the collaborative approach to treating infective endocarditis?
Primary care physicians Acute medicine Cardiologists Surgeons Microbiologists Infectious disease Neurologist Neurosurgeon Radiologist Pathologist
What is the incidence of infective endocarditis?
3-10 episodes per 100,000 person years in general population
14.5 episodes per 100,000 person years in 70-80 year olds
What is the difference in incidence of infective endocarditis between males and females?
Males : females
2:1
Is the prognosis worse in males or females?
Females
What percentage of people infected with infective endocarditis will not have an underlying structural heart disease?
Around 25%
What are the potential epidemiologies of infective endocarditis?
Older patients with degenerative AS Rheumatic heart disease Health care associated Invasive procedures Intra-cardiac devices Prosthetic valves Mitral valve prolapse Bicuspid aortic valve Congenital heart disease IV drug abuse Immunocompromise
What are the potential pathophysiologies of infective endocarditis?
Adherence and invasion of non-bacterial thrombotic endocarditis
Mechanical disruption of valve endothelium
What are the possible causes of mechanical disruption of the valve endothelium?
Turbulent blood flow Electrodes Catheters Inflammation Degenerative changes
What percentage of people with infective endocarditis will have a physically normal endothelium?
25%
When might bacteraemia be present in infective endocarditis?
Extra-cardiac infections
Invasive procedures e.g. oral, abdominal, genitourinary, intravascular catheters
Gingival disease
How is infective endocarditis classified?
Acute, subacute or chronic
Early (< 1 year after surgery) or late (> 1 year after surgery)
Side of infection
Infected devices
What is right sided infective endocarditis associated with?
IV drug abusers
What are the presenting features of nosocomial/idiopathic infective endocarditis?
Signs and symptoms > 48 hours after hospitalisation
What are the presenting features of non-nosocomial infective endocarditis?
Signs and symptoms < 48 hours after hospitalisation plus healthcare contact
What factors might be associated with infective endocarditis?
Home-based nursing, IV therapy or haemodialysis < 30 days before onset
Acute care facility < 90 days before onset
Resident in nursing home or long-term care facility
IVDA
What features might suggest infective endocarditis?
Variable presentation
High index of suspicion
Bacteraemic episode
Non-specific symptoms e.g. fever, fatigue, malaise
What are the possible signs of infective endocarditis?
Congestive cardiac failure Vascular or immunological phenomena Immune complex deposition Embolic phenomena Focal neurological signs Peripheral embolus or abscess (30%) Pulmonary embolus or abscess
What are the signs of immune complex deposition?
Vasculitic rash - diffuse, non-blanching, petechial, purpuric
Roth spots - retinal haemorrhages, white/pale centre, coagulated fibrosis
Osler’s nodes - deep red spots, painful, raised, on finger plumps, palms and soles
Janeway lesions - flat, macular, echymotic, on palms and soles, non-tender
Nephritis
What should prompt a high index of suspicion?
Fever New murmur Pyrexia of unknown origin when other diagnoses have been ruled out Known IE causative organism isolated in culture Prosthetic material Previous IE Congenital heart disease New conduction disorder Immunocompromised IVDA
When might signs of infective endocarditis be absent?
Elderly
After antibiotic treatment
Immunocompromised
IE involving less virulent or atypical organism
What should be done in the investigation of suspected infective endocarditis?
Markers of infection/inflammation FBC CRP ESR U&Es Blood culture prior to starting antibiotics Urinalysis ECG CXR Echocardiogram