Epidemiology of infective endocarditis in a large Belgian non-referral hospital.
OBJECTIVE
Guidelines for diagnosis of infective endocarditis are largely based upon epidemiological studies in referral hospitals. Referral bias, however, might impair the validity of guidelines in non-referral hospitals. Recent studies in non-referral care centres on infective endocarditis are sparse. We conducted a retrospective epidemiological study on infective endocarditis in a large non-referral hospital in a Belgian city (Kortrijk).


METHODS
The medical record system was searched for all cases tagged with a putative diagnosis of infective endocarditis in the period 2003-2010. The cases that fulfilled the modified Duke criteria for probable or definite infective endocarditis were included.


RESULTS
Compared to referral centres, an older population with infective endocarditis, and fewer predisposing cardiac factors and catheter-related infective endocarditis is seen in our population. Our patients have fewer prosthetic valve endocarditis as well as fewer staphylococcal endocarditis. Our patients undergo less surgery, although mortality rate seems to be highly comparable with referral centres, with nosocomial infective endocarditis as an independent predictor of mortality.


CONCLUSIONS
The present study suggests that characteristics of infective endocarditis as well as associative factors might differ among non-referral hospitals and referral hospitals.
K
K
Poesen
H
H
Pottel
J
J
Colaert
C
C
De Niel
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001530:Belgium; D004696:Endocarditis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006764:Hospitals, Community / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006786:Hospitals, Urban / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents
Community hospital; Epidemiology,; Infective endocarditis,; Referral bias,