Korean Circ J.  2000 Feb;30(2):166-173. 10.4070/kcj.2000.30.2.166.

Clinical Observation of Infective Endocarditis

• Kim JS
• Kim YJ
• Moon KS
• Kim IW
• Choi RK
• Han CH
• Goh CW
• Lim DS
• Park HS
• Hong SK
• Hwang HK

• KMID: 1858443
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4070/kcj.2000.30.2.166

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The clinical pattern of infective endocarditis is constantly changing. Diagnosis and treatment of infective endocarditis were developed by recent diagnostic strategy (Duke criteria) and introduction of transesophageal echocardiography. The aim of this study was to compare the clinical character-istics of infective endocarditis in Sejong hospital to the previous report and was to investigate risk factor of heart failure, embolism and death. MATERIAL AND METHODS: All episodes hospitalized of infective endocarditis from January of 1990 to October of 1999 in Sejong hospital were reviewed retrospectively. The total cases of infective endocarditis was 80 cases in 78 patients.
RESULTS
The male to female ratio was 1:1.05 (39 male, 41 female). The mean age was 42 years. Rheumatic heart disease was the most common predisposing heart disease in 28.8%, followed by prosthetic valve endocarditis. Streptococci were the most commonly isolated micro-organisms in 18 cases (45.0%), followed by staphylococci in 11 cases. Transesophageal echocardiography has a higher sensitivity than transthoracic echocardiography for detection of vegetation, abscess and paravalvular complication in endocarditis. In patients with echocardiographic vegetation and involvement of aortic valve, there was a statistically significant increase in the risk of heart failure. The factor that was associated with a statistically significant increase in the overall risk of embolization was not exist. Ten patients died (12.5%). Risk factor for death was left ventricular dysfunction. The incidence of death was more higher in patients with abscess and non-streptococcal endocarditis.
CONCLUSION
Compared to the 1980's report, we observed increased mean age of patients, the decreasing trend of rheumatic heart disease as a predisposing heart disease and the decreasing incidence of streptococci as causative microorganism. Risk factors for congestive heart failure were aortic valve endocarditis and endocarditis with vegetation. Risk factor for death was left ventricular dysfunction.

Keyword

Clinical observation; Infective endocarditis

MeSH Terms

Abscess
Aortic Valve
Diagnosis
Echocardiography
Echocardiography, Transesophageal
Embolism
Endocarditis*
Female
Heart Diseases
Heart Failure
Humans
Incidence
Male
Retrospective Studies
Rheumatic Heart Disease
Risk Factors
Ventricular Dysfunction, Left