title: [Infectious endocarditis in drug addicts: a study of 71 cases].
abstract: Infective endocarditis (IE) is a severe and relatively common condition in parenteral drug abusers (PDA). Seventy-one IE episodes in 59 PDAs admitted to the Hospital General Vall d'Hebron from August 1978 to December 1988 were evaluated. The disease basically involved young males, with a progressively increasing incidence throughout the decade and a higher frequency during August. Fever was a constant symptom, with a duration of less than 10 days before admission in 73% of cases. Staphylococcus aureus was the most common pathogen (85% of episodes). Vegetations were detected by echocardiography in 70% of cases. In 82% of episodes the right side of the heart was involved, particularly the tricuspid valve. The initial chest X-ray film was abnormal in 57.5% of episodes. In 7 patients features of heart failure were present at admission; most had left heart endocarditis. Three patients with left heart endocarditis required surgical therapy. Overall mortality was 13%; it was 6% in patients with only tricuspid involvement and 27% when the left heart was involved.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Medicina Interna, Hospital Vall d'Hebron, Universidad Autónoma, Barcelona.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ribera
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Martínez-Costa
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tornos
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gómez-Jiménez
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Planes
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pahissa
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Martínez-Vázquez
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012621:Seasons; D012737:Sex Factors; D013030:Spain; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications*
vernacular_title: Endocarditis infecciosa en drogadictos: estudio de 71 casos.