[Infectious endocarditis of the left heart atrium in injection drug addicts].
OBJECTIVE
To study etiology, clinical picture, course and prognosis of left heart infection endocarditis (LHIE) in drug addicts.


METHODS
61 drug addicts entered the study. 14 of them had lesions of the left heart valves (group 1), 11--of the right and left heart valves (group 2), 36--of the tricuspid valve (group 3), 39 control patients with LHIE had no addiction. Mean age in group 1 was 25.9 +/- 8.8 years, in group 4--48.3 +/- 12.6 years, p < 0.001.


RESULTS
Females prevailed in group 3, males--in group 4. Splenomegaly was more frequent in the addicts. Lung lesions (abscesses and infarction) prevailed in groups 2 and 3. Cardiac failure was found more frequently in groups 1 and 4, edema--in group 3, brain affections--in groups 1 and 4. Renal damage was encountered with equal frequency in the addicts and non-addicts. The addicts had, largely, infarctions, non-addicts--glomerulonephritis. Viral hepatitis C was associated with drug addiction. Blood seedings were on the whole positive in 54%, in drug addicts--in 69%. St. aureus predominated (44%). In group 3 it was detected in 72%. It was higher than in groups 4 and 1 (p < 0.001, p < 0.01, respectively). Lethality in group 1 (57%) was higher than in group 3 (22%, p < 0.05) and group 2 (18%, p < 0.01). The leading cause of death in group 1 was cerebral thromboembolism with development of meningoencephalitis. Other causes--progressive cardiac and renal failure.
Maslov
S V
SV
Ktsoeva
T V
TV
Kovalev
Iu R
IuR
D000328:Adult; D016279:Atrial Function, Left / Q000502:physiology*; D004696:Endocarditis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000453:epidemiology; D013163:Splenomegaly / Q000453:epidemiology; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000453:epidemiology*