title: Aspirin to prevent growth of vegetations and cerebral emboli in infective endocarditis.
abstract: The incidence of stroke on cranial computed tomography (CT) and change in echocardiographic vegetation area was prospectively compared in a preliminary observational study involving nine patients with infective endocarditis randomized to either low-dose aspirin (75 mg d-1, Group I, n = 4) or no aspirin (Group II, n = 5). Two symptomatic cerebral infarcts and one myocardial infarct occurred in the controls, compared to no events in patients on aspirin during a total observation period of 343 d (range 28-49 d). The mean vegetation area decreased in the aspirin group (mean change = -0.24 cm2), compared to an increase in controls (mean change = +0.35 cm2). The platelet half-life (normal range 5-6 d), which was measured using Indium-111 radiolabelling, tended to be lower in Group II (4.6 +/- 0.2 vs. 3.9 +/- 0.5 d). No side-effects or complications attributable to aspirin were observed. A possible role for adjunctive aspirin therapy in the prevention of embolic complications in infective endocarditis is suggested, and warrants further study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine (Clinical Cardiology), Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK.
authors.forename: T H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Taha
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Durrant
authors.forename: P K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Mazeika
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nihoyannopoulos
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Oakley
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001241:Aspirin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D004452:Echocardiography; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D002542:Intracranial Embolism and Thrombosis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013212:Staphylococcus epidermidis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013291:Streptococcus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D001241:Aspirin