[Endocarditis due to HACEK bacteria. A case report of endocarditis due to Kingella kingae].
Endocarditis is a common disease in hospital practice. Identification of the microorganism responsible for the valvular damage is essential to establish the prognosis and to determine the optimal antibiotic treatment. In some cases of endocarditis the diagnosis is laborious, especially when the responsible microorganism is difficult to detect using standard culture techniques. Here we report a case of native aortic valve endocarditis due to Kingella kingae, a Gram negative organism of the HACEK group. In addition we review 6 other cases of endocarditis caused by organism belonging to this group, treated in our hospital between 1983 and 1999. Epidemiological studies show that less than 5% of all cases of endocarditis are caused by organisms of the HACEK group. The diagnosis is often delayed because their slow growth on a standard culture medium. We describe clinical and microbiological characteristics of this group of endocarditis.
Lepori
M
M
Division de soins intensifs de médecine, Service B, Département de médecine, CHUV, rue du Bugnon, 1011 Lausanne.
Bochud
P Y
PY
Owlya
R
R
Broccard
A
A
Schaller
M D
MD
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001706:Biopsy; D004452:Echocardiography; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017882:Kingella kingae; D008297:Male; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008875:Middle Aged; D016870:Neisseriaceae Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D011379:Prognosis
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents