What is left sided endocarditis?

Left sided endocarditis (LSE) is an infection of the entirety or portion of mitral and/or aortic valve and the structures in their anatomical contiguity. It may be determined by various pathogens, but bacterial origin is the most common.

Which side of valve is endocarditis?

Infective endocarditis occurs most often on the left side (eg, mitral or aortic valve). About 10 to 20% of cases are right-sided (tricuspid or pulmonic valve). Intravenous drug abusers have a much higher incidence of right-sided endocarditis (about 30 to 70%).

What are the two types of endocarditis?

What is the most common cause of endocarditis?

Endocarditis begins when germs enter the bloodstream and then travel to the heart. Bacterial infection is the most common cause of endocarditis. Endocarditis can also be caused by fungi, such as Candida.

What is right-sided endocarditis?

Right-sided native valve infective endocarditis (IE) refers to IE involving the tricuspid or pulmonic valve; isolated right-sided IE accounts for approximately 10 percent of all IE cases; concomitant left-sided and right-sided IE account for approximately 13 percent of all IE cases [1,2].

Infective Endocarditis, Animation

Why does endocarditis affect left side?

This predilection is believed to be related to the following 3 factors: (1) the relatively higher pressures on the left side of the heart that produce more turbulent flow across the mitral and aortic valves, predisposing them to endothelial damage; (2) the relatively higher oxygen content of the left-side circulation, ...

Which valve is most common for endocarditis?

The tricuspid valve is most commonly affected (50%), whereas involvement of the mitral and aortic valves is less common (20% each). The involvement of multiple valves is common. Pulmonary valve endocarditis is rare.

What are the warning signs of endocarditis?

Can endocarditis be cured?

Many people with endocarditis are successfully treated with antibiotics. Sometimes, surgery may be needed to fix or replace damaged heart valves and clean up any remaining signs of the infection.

Can a tooth infection cause endocarditis?

In very rare cases, bacteria in the mouth may trigger endocarditis in people at higher risk. Here's what happens: Bacteria found in tooth plaque may multiply and cause gingivitis (gum disease). If not treated, this may become advanced.

What is the survival rate of endocarditis?

Global survival was 75% at 6 months, and 57% at 5 years. The only non-significant factor was IE location. The annual instantaneous risk of death was 0.55 at 6 months, 0.18 at 1 year, then 0.03. After one year, the only prognostic factor was age.

What are the odds of surviving endocarditis?

Conclusions: Long term survival following infective endocarditis is 50% after 10 years and is predicted by early surgical treatment, age < 55 years, lack of congestive heart failure, and the initial presence of more symptoms of endocarditis.

What infection causes endocarditis?

Two kinds of bacteria cause most cases of bacterial endocarditis. These are staphylococci (staph) and streptococci (strep). You may be at increased risk for bacterial endocarditis if you have certain heart valve defects. This gives the bacteria an easier place to take hold and grow.

How serious is a heart valve infection?

Without treatment, the infection damages the heart valves and disrupts the normal flow of blood through the heart. This triggers a range of life-threatening complications, such as: heart failure – where the heart is unable to pump enough blood around the body to properly meet the body's demands.

How is endocarditis detected?

Blood test

If your doctor suspects you have endocarditis, a blood culture test will be ordered to confirm whether bacteria, fungi, or other microorganisms are causing it. Other blood tests can also reveal if your symptoms are caused by another condition, such as anemia.

Which part of the heart is most susceptible to infective endocarditis?

Infective endocarditis occurs most often on the left side (eg, mitral or aortic valve).

How long are you in hospital with endocarditis?

Usually, you will stay in the hospital for about a week to receive them through an IV. You may need IV antibiotics for between 2 and 6 weeks, but some of that might be from home.

Does endocarditis require open heart surgery?

Early open heart surgery is recommended in bacterial endocarditis if heart failure is progressive. Shorter postoperative antibiotic therapy is proposed once the source of residual infection is removed.

What are the long term effects of endocarditis?

What are the long-term effects of endocarditis? A lot of people with endocarditis need surgery, due to damage to the heart valves caused by the infection. There are potential complications including stroke.

Is endocarditis a medical emergency?

Background. Infective endocarditis (IE) is a serious disease that requires prompt recognition and early treatment to minimize morbidity and mortality. However, it remains an elusive diagnosis for the emergency physician (EP) due to its protean manifestations.

Can you have endocarditis and not know?

The symptoms of endocarditis aren't always severe, and they may develop slowly over time. In the early stages of endocarditis, the symptoms are similar to many other illnesses. This is why many cases go undiagnosed. Many of the symptoms are similar to cases of the flu or other infections, such as pneumonia.

What does a heart infection feel like?

General symptoms of a heart infection include chest pain, fever, and shortness of breath. These symptoms can also be present with a life-threatening condition, such as heart attack. Seek immediate medical care if you, or someone you are with, have these symptoms.

Who is at risk for endocarditis?

There are four main groups of people who are at risk for infective endocarditis. People with underlying heart problems such as congenital heart disease, valvular heart disease, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, rheumatic heart disease, or previous bouts of endocarditis.

Does endocarditis shorten your life?

“Infective endocarditis is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. Several published studies have reported in-hospital mortality of 15 percent to 20 percent and 1-year mortality of 40 percent.

Can a CT scan detect endocarditis?

Cardiac CT was feasible imaging modality for evaluating and diagnosing infective endocarditis. Cardiac CT should be recommended in patients with clinical suspicion of infective endocarditis even when transthoracic echocardiography and transesophageal echocardiography is negative for infective endocarditis.