Patients with infective endocarditis and increased cardiac troponin I levels have a higher incidence of in-hospital mortality and valve replacement than those with normal cardiac troponin I levels.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the association of increased cardiac troponin I levels with in-hospital mortality and valve replacement in patients with infective endocarditis (IE).


METHODS
The 62 patients included 36 men and 26 women, with a mean age of 60 +/- 9 years, with IE diagnosed by the Duke criteria. All 62 patients had blood drawn for measurement of cardiac troponin I levels. A cardiac troponin I level >0.4 ng/ml was considered increased. All 62 patients underwent transesophageal echocardiography. Student's t tests were used to analyze continuous variables. chi(2) tests were used to analyze dichotomous variables.


RESULTS
Transesophageal echocardiography diagnosed valvular vegetations in 56 of the 62 patients (90%). Cardiac troponin I levels were increased in 35 of the 62 patients (57%). In-hospital mortality or valve replacement occurred in 18 of 35 patients (51%) with increased cardiac troponin I levels versus 4 of 27 patients (15%) with normal cardiac troponin I levels (p < 0.005).


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with IE and increased cardiac troponin I levels have a higher incidence of in-hospital mortality or valve replacement than those with normal cardiac troponin I levels.
Tsenovoy
Peter
P
Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, USA.
Aronow
Wilbert S
WS
Joseph
Julie
J
Kopacz
Magdaline S
MS
D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000097:blood* / Q000401:mortality*; D005260:Female; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000382:microbiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D019918:Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D019210:Troponin I / Q000097:blood*
D015415:Biomarkers; D019210:Troponin I