Endocarditis, infective
Endocarditis, infective Causes
There are many types of organism that can cause infective endocarditis. Often times, responsible micro-oganism is Streptococcus viridans, which are very sensitive to Penicillin and are generally isolated through blood culture. Alpha-haemolytic streptococci, which are present in the oral cavity will usually be the organism isolated if a test or a dental procedure may have caused the bacteraemia. If it was introduced through the skin, the micro-organism Staphylococcus aureus is common. The third most important cause of this disease is Enterococci. They enter the bloodstream because of abnormalities that occur in the gastrointestinal or in the urinary tracts.
Endocarditis, infective Definition
Endocarditis occurs when bacteria settles in the heart. Because the valves of the heart don't have any blood supply of their own, mechanisms for defense such as the white blood cells cannot enter into the heart. In such case, if an organism like bacteria hold on the valves, which normally the body will not be able to get rid of.
Endocarditis, infective Diagnosis
The most important investigation to do to diagnose the patient is by Blood culture. Other diagnostic tests to run include, echocardiography, ECGs (MI), and Chest X-Ray.
Endocarditis, infective Symptoms and Signs
Symptoms of Infective edocarditis include, fever due to unknown cause or often caused by some septic emboli, the presence of micro-organisms in our bloodstream, vegetations on the valves on echocardiography, vascular phenomena of septic emboli, Janeway lesions or some painless hemorrhagic cutaneous swells growing in the palms and soles, hemorrhage (intracranial, conjunctival, splinter), Immunologic phenomena, Osler's nodes, Glomerulonephritis, Roth's spots in the retina, and a positive factor for serum rheumatoid.
Endocarditis, infective Treatment
Treatments of this disease administer very high dosage of antibiotics through the intravenous route to ensure maximum diffusion of the antibiotic into the vegetation from blood which are filling the different chambers of the heart. Antibiotics treatments are continuously administered for a long time ranging from two to six weeks. Fungal endocarditis, in the other hand, requires a specific anti-fungal treatment like amphotericin B. Removal of the valve through surgery is also necessary for some patients with special cases.