Native valve infective endocarditis in the 1970s versus the 1980s: underlying cardiac lesions and infecting organisms.
A retrospective review of the records of 135 patients with proven or suspected endocarditis, seen between January 1970 and December 1987, is presented. Among the findings: (1) Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) as an underlying lesion was more common in the 1980s group of patients (22%) than in the 1970s group (6%, p less than 0.01); (2) no significant difference was found in the occurrence of pathogens between the 1970s and the 1980s groups of patients; (3) in most patients (17 of 19) with MVP, the organisms isolated were Streptococci viridans; (4) most patients (15 of 17) with MVP had undergone a dental procedure without prior antibiotic treatment in the two months prior to admission. Prophylactic antibiotic treatment is suggested in patients with MVP undergoing dental procedure, especially in a subset of patients with flail or redundant valve leaflet as 16 of our MVP patients (out of 17) had this pathology on echocardiogram.
Department of Medicine A, Beilinson Medical Center, Petah Tikva, Israel.
I
I
Weinberger
Z
Z
Rotenberg
D
D
Zacharovitch
J
J
Fuchs
E
E
Davidson
J
J
Agmon
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology