Prosthetic valve endocarditis resulting from Nocardia asteroides.
Nocardia asteroides was isolated from the prosthetic valve of a 64-year-old woman who had died of endocarditis after aortic valve replacement. Multiple blood cultures had all been negative. This organism is increasingly being recognised as a pathogen and is usually sensitive to sulphonamides. These should be tried in culture negative endocarditis unresponsive to standard therapy.
D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000601:surgery*; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009617:Nocardia Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D009616:Nocardia asteroides / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000382:microbiology*