Endocarditis overview: Difference between revisions

Jump to navigation Jump to search
No edit summary
No edit summary
Line 31: Line 31:


[[Category:Cardioogy]]
[[Category:Cardioogy]]
[[Category:Emergency medicine]]
[[Category:Infectious disease]]
[[Category:Intensive care medicine]]


{{WH}}
{{WH}}
{{WS}}
{{WS}}

Revision as of 16:11, 20 March 2011

WikiDoc Resources for Endocarditis overview

Articles

Most recent articles on Endocarditis overview

Most cited articles on Endocarditis overview

Review articles on Endocarditis overview

Articles on Endocarditis overview in N Eng J Med, Lancet, BMJ

Media

Powerpoint slides on Endocarditis overview

Images of Endocarditis overview

Photos of Endocarditis overview

Podcasts & MP3s on Endocarditis overview

Videos on Endocarditis overview

Evidence Based Medicine

Cochrane Collaboration on Endocarditis overview

Bandolier on Endocarditis overview

TRIP on Endocarditis overview

Clinical Trials

Ongoing Trials on Endocarditis overview at Clinical Trials.gov

Trial results on Endocarditis overview

Clinical Trials on Endocarditis overview at Google

Guidelines / Policies / Govt

US National Guidelines Clearinghouse on Endocarditis overview

NICE Guidance on Endocarditis overview

NHS PRODIGY Guidance

FDA on Endocarditis overview

CDC on Endocarditis overview

Books

Books on Endocarditis overview

News

Endocarditis overview in the news

Be alerted to news on Endocarditis overview

News trends on Endocarditis overview

Commentary

Blogs on Endocarditis overview

Definitions

Definitions of Endocarditis overview

Patient Resources / Community

Patient resources on Endocarditis overview

Discussion groups on Endocarditis overview

Patient Handouts on Endocarditis overview

Directions to Hospitals Treating Endocarditis overview

Risk calculators and risk factors for Endocarditis overview

Healthcare Provider Resources

Symptoms of Endocarditis overview

Causes & Risk Factors for Endocarditis overview

Diagnostic studies for Endocarditis overview

Treatment of Endocarditis overview

Continuing Medical Education (CME)

CME Programs on Endocarditis overview

International

Endocarditis overview en Espanol

Endocarditis overview en Francais

Business

Endocarditis overview in the Marketplace

Patents on Endocarditis overview

Experimental / Informatics

List of terms related to Endocarditis overview

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

Please Join in Editing This Page and Apply to be an Editor-In-Chief for this topic: There can be one or more than one Editor-In-Chief. You may also apply to be an Associate Editor-In-Chief of one of the subtopics below. Please mail us [2] to indicate your interest in serving either as an Editor-In-Chief of the entire topic or as an Associate Editor-In-Chief for a subtopic. Please be sure to attach your CV and or biographical sketch.

Overview of Endocarditis

Endocarditis is an inflammation of the inner layer of the heart, the endocardium. The most common structures involved are the heart valves.

Endocarditis can be classified by etiology as either non-infective or infective, depending on whether a microorganism is the source of the problem.

Traditionally, infective endocarditis has been clinically divided into acute and subacute (because the patients tend to live longer in subacute as opposed to acute) endocarditis. This classifies both the rate of progression and severity of disease. Thus subacute bacterial endocarditis (SBE) is often due to streptococci of low virulence and mild to moderate illness which progresses slowly over weeks and months, while acute bacterial endocarditis (ABE) is a fulminant illness over days to weeks, and is more likely due to Staphylococcus aureus which has much greater virulence, or disease-producing capacity.

This terminology is now discouraged. The terms short incubation (meaning less than about six weeks), and long incubation (greater than about six weeks) are preferred.

Infective endocarditis may also be classified as culture-positive or culture-negative. Culture-negative endocarditis is due to micro-organisms that require a longer period of time to be identified in the laboratory. Such organisms are said to be 'fastidious' because they have demanding growth requirements. Some pathogens responsible for culture-negative endocarditis include Aspergillus species, Brucella species, Coxiella burnetii, Chlamydia species, and HACEK bacteria.

Finally, the distinction between native-valve endocarditis and prosthetic-valve endocarditis is clinically important. Prosthetic-valve endocarditis constitutes 10-20% of cases of endocarditis. The greatest risk is during the first 6 months after valve surgery. Staphylococcus epidermidis is the most common cause. The infection often extends into the anulus and cardiac tissues.

Patients who inject narcotics intravenously may introduce infection which will travel to the right side of the heart. In other patients without a history of intravenous exposure, endocarditis is more frequently left-sided.

Non-infective endocarditis

Non-infective or marantic endocarditis is rare. A form of sterile endocarditis is termed Libman-Sacks endocarditis; this form occurs more often in patients with lupus erythematosus and the antiphospholipid syndrome. Non-infective endocarditis may also occur in patients with cancer, particularly mucinous adenocarcinoma.

Infective endocarditis

Given the poor vascular supply of the heart valves, entrance of infection fighting components of the bloodstream (such as white blood cells) are reduced. So if an organism (such as bacteria) establishes a foothold in the valves, the bodies ability to fight the infection inside the valve structures is reduced.

Normally, blood flows smoothly through these valves. If they have been damaged (for instance in rheumatic fever) the trauma of non-laminar flow can increase the risk of infection.

Template:WH Template:WS