title: A multicenter study on experience of 13 tertiary hospitals in Turkey in patients with infective endocarditis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this retrospective multicenter study was to investigate the clinical manifestations, microbiological profile, echocardiographic findings and management strategies of infective endocarditis (IE) in Turkey.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study population consisted of 248 Turkish patients with IE treated at 13 major hospitals in Turkey from 2005 to 2012 retrospectively. All hospitals are tertiary referral centers, which receive patients from surrounding hospitals. Data were collected from the medical files of all patients hospitalized with IE diagnosed according to modified Duke Criteria.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred thirty seven of the patients were males. Native valves were involved in 158 patients while in 75 participants there was prosthetic valve endocarditis. Vegetations were detected in 223 patients (89%) and 52 patients had multiple vegetations. Mitral valve was the most common site of vegetation (43%). The most common valvular pathology was mitral regurgitation. The most common predisposing factor was rheumatic valvular disease (28%). Positive culture rate was 65%. Staphylococci were the most frequent causative microorganisms isolated (29%) followed by enterococci (11%). In-hospital mortality rate was 33%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Compared to IE in developed countries younger age, higher prevalence of rheumatic heart disease, more frequent enterococci infection and higher rates of culture negativity were other important aspects of IE epidemiology in Turkey.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Dicle University, Diyarbakır-Turkey. elbeymali@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Mehmet Ali
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Elbey
authors.forename: Serkan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Akdağ
authors.forename: Mehmet Emin
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Kalkan
authors.forename: Mehmet G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Kaya
authors.forename: M Raşit
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Sayın
authors.forename: Hekim
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Karapınar
authors.forename: Serkan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bulur
authors.forename: Taner
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ulus
authors.forename: M Ata
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Akıl
authors.forename: Hatice Köprü
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Elbey
authors.forename: Abdurrahman
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Akyüz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology