[Epidemiological changes in infectious endocarditis. A prospective study, 1992-96].
BACKGROUND
To know the present epidemiological situation of the infective endocarditis in our environment and its evolution in the last few years.


RESULTS
The incidence of infective endocarditis was 0.85 per thousand patients admitted to hospital, with a mean age of 43 years. The predisposed factors more frequently found were: drug addiction (32%) and cardiac prosthetic valves (23%). In the greatest number of our patients the cardiac valves involved were: tricuspid (28%), mitral (27%) and prosthetic valves (23%). The causative organism were: S. aureus (19 cases), Streptococcus (15 cases) and S. epidermidis (11 cases). The echocardiography study resulted diagnostic in 90% of the patients, valve replacements were performed in 22% of the cases. The overall mortality rate was 10%.


CONCLUSIONS
The current profile of infective endocarditis is characterized by a high incidence of parenterally drug addict patients or prosthetic valves carriers. Increase of the infections of S aureus and a decrease of Streptococcus infections, as well as a less overall mortality.
Expósito Ordóñez
E
E
Servicio de Cardiología, Hospital Universitario Virgen de la Arrixaca, Murcia.
de la Morena Valenzuela
G
G
Gómez Gómez
J
J
Ruipérez Abizanda
J A
JA
Sánchez Villanueva
J G
JG
Gimeno Blanes
J R
JR
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D004452:Echocardiography; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D019918:Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000150:complications