title: Severe endocarditis in transplant recipients--an epidemiologic study.
abstract: Infective endocarditis (IE) is reported with an incidence of 6/100,000 inhabitants in the general population. Even though immunosuppression predisposes to systemic infection, reports regarding IE after solid organ transplantation (SOT) are sparse. From 1989 to 2004, 2556 patients underwent SOT at the University Hospital Innsbruck. During this period, 27 transplant recipients were diagnosed IE. Nine patients (33.3%) were diagnosed at autopsy, eight patients (29.6%) were cured by antibiotic treatment and 10 patients (37.1%) underwent surgery. Overall mortality was 44.4% (12 patients). Staphylococcus was the predominant microorganism in 16 cases (59.3%), fungal infection was present in four patients (14.8%). Incidence of IE was 1% (95% CI: 0.67-1.49), indicating a 171-fold risk compared with the overall population. IE after SOT constitutes a significant problem and is associated with an excessive high mortality. Alertness to this condition is indicated, as we might diagnose more cases of IE in the future.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac Surgery, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria. elfriede.ruttmann@uibk.ac.at
authors.forename: Elfriede
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ruttmann
authors.forename: Hugo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bonatti
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Legit
authors.forename: Hanno
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ulmer
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Stelzmueller
authors.forename: Herwig
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Antretter
authors.forename: Raimund
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Margreiter
authors.forename: Guenter
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Laufer
authors.forename: Ludwig C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Mueller
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001344:Autopsy; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016377:Organ Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors