title: Endocarditis in Greenland with special reference to endocarditis caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this retrospective study was to determine the incidence and outcome of infectious endocarditis in Greenland with an emphasis on pneumococcal endocarditis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective, non-interventional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Review of files and medical history of all patients with infectious endocarditis from the Patient Registry in Greenland in the 11-year period 1995-2005.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 25 cases of endocarditis, giving an incidence rate of 4.0/100,000 per year. Twenty-four percent of these cases were caused by Streptoccous pneumonia, which is significantly more frequent than in studies on Caucasian populations, where pneumococcal infection was seen in 1-3% of endocarditis cases. The overall mortality rate was 12%. Pneumococcal endocarditis (PE) had the clinical characteristics of fulminant disease with frequent heart failure, complications and need for surgery. Among cases with PE, 67% needed acute valve replacement and the mortality rate was 33%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The high incidence rate, clinical characteristics and grave prognosis of PE are consistent with another study of an Inuit population in Alaska.
authors.affiliation: Medical Department, Queen Ingrid's Hospital, Nuuk, 3900 Greenland, Denmark. rasmusgaarde@gmail.com
authors.forename: Rasmus Gaarde
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Madsen
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ladefoged
authors.forename: Jens Jørgen
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Kjaergaard
authors.forename: Peter Stemann
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Andersen
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Clemmesen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000208:ethnology / Q000401:mortality*; D005260:Female; D006116:Greenland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D004930:Inuit; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011008:Pneumococcal Infections / Q000208:ethnology / Q000401:mortality*; D012189:Retrospective Studies