[Clinical Characteristics and Evolution of Recurrent Infectious Endocarditis in non Drug Addicts].
OBJECTIVE
Recurrence of infection is observed in a high proportion of patients who have had infective endocarditis in the past. The aim of our study was to evaluate the possible differences between the first and the recurrent episodes of endocarditis, as well as to assess the outcome and prognosis of patients with recurrent endocarditis.


METHODS
We reviewed a series of 13 episodes of recurrent endocarditis from among 196 cases of infective endocarditis involving non-drug-addict patients in two hospitals from 1987 to 2000.


RESULTS
There were no differences between recurrent and first episodes of endocarditis according to age, sex, heart valve involved or causal microorganisms. Prosthetic valve endocarditis was more common in patients with recurrent endocarditis (86% versus 27%; p < 0.001). Although there were no differences in the rate of complications or early surgery, overall mortality was significantly higher in patients with recurrent endocarditis (53% versus 27%: p < 0.05). When early and late mortality were analysed separately, the differences did not achieve significance.


CONCLUSIONS
Recurrent endocarditis was frequent in our series (7% of all cases). The features were similar to those of the first episode except for a higher rate of prosthetic valve endocarditis and a higher overall mortality.
Rodríguez
M
M
Servicios de Cardiología y Cirugía Cardiovascular, Hospital Reina Sofía de Córdoba, Spain. tezam@eresmas.com
Anguita
M
M
Castillo
J M
JM
Torres
F
F
Siles
J R
JR
Mesa
D
D
Franco
M
M
García-Alegría
J
J
Concha
M
M
Vallés
F
F
D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012008:Recurrence; D013997:Time Factors
Características clínicas y evolución de la endocarditis infecciosa recurrente en no drogadictos.