Current characteristics of infective endocarditis in Japan: an analysis of 848 cases in 2000 and 2001.
The Japanese Circulation Society appointed a committee to develop guidelines for the prevention, diagnosis and management of infective endocarditis in Japan. In making such guidelines, the committee required information on the current clinical characteristics of infective endocarditis and therefore performed a nationwide questionnaire survey of cases from 2000 and 2001. In total, data were received for 848 cases from 277 of the 817 hospitals surveyed. Mean age was 55+/-18 years and most patients were aged in their 50 s or 60 s; 53.9% of the patients had infective endocarditis of unknown origin (without any prior predisposing conditions or procedures) and the second most common etiology was post dental procedures. The most common microorganism was Gram-positive cocci (345 streptococci and 221 staphylococci) and methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was found in 7.3%. Although more than 90% of cases with Streptococcus viridans were sensitive to penicillin G, 6.6% were resistant. All MRSAs were sensitive to vancomycin. The information obtained from the survey assisted in the making of the guidelines, which should become an indispensable tool for all clinicians.
Division of Cardiology, National Cardiovascular Center, Suita, Osaka, Japan.
Satoshi
S
Nakatani
Kotaro
K
Mitsutake
Takeshi
T
Hozumi
Junichi
J
Yoshikawa
Maki
M
Akiyama
Kiyoshi
K
Yoshida
Naoko
N
Ishizuka
Kenji
K
Nakamura
Yasuyo
Y
Taniguchi
Kunihiro
K
Yoshioka
Kohei
K
Kawazoe
Makoto
M
Akaishi
Koichiro
K
Niwa
Makoto
M
Nakazawa
Soichiro
S
Kitamura
Kunio
K
Miyatake
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D004696:Endocarditis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires