The patient with a clotted PTFE graft developing fever.
Haemodialysis access graft infection is easily recognizable when local symptoms (warmth, swelling, pain, or drainage) predominate, and endocarditis is a well established complication of infected grafts. We report a case of bacterial endocarditis complicating silent infection in clotted haemodialysis access graft. It is suggested that, clotted non-functioning grafts may be the harbingers of silent infection, and should be suspected as the source of infection in every haemodialysis patient that presents with fever, even in the absence of clinical signs of graft site infection.
Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
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Sheikh-Hamad
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Ayus
D000328:Adult; D002408:Catheters, Indwelling / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000382:microbiology*; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000382:microbiology; D005334:Fever / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011138:Polytetrafluoroethylene; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000150:complications*; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000209:etiology*
D011138:Polytetrafluoroethylene