title: The epidemiology and outcomes of infective endocarditis in a tertiary care hospital in Oman.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We undertook this study to describe the epidemiological and clinical features of infective endocarditis (IE) and to study the complications and management of IE in a tertiary care hospital in Oman.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a retrospective study of 58 adult patients (>13 years of age) admitted to the Royal Hospital with IE from June 2006 to June 2011.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 58 patients, 40 (69%) were males, and 18 (31%) were females (ratio 2.2). The median age was 43.6 years (range: 14-85). Forty-eight cases (82.7%) had native valves, nine patients (15.6%) had prosthetic valves, and one case (1.7%) had a pacemaker. The most commonly involved valves were mitral (33, 56.9%) and aortic (23, 39.7%). The blood cultures were positive in 47 (81%) patients, and the most commonly isolated organisms were Streptococci spp., which were found in 20 (34.5%) patients, and Staphylococci spp., which were found in 19 (32.8%) patients. The complication rate was 21%. A total of 15 (25.9%) patients underwent surgical intervention, and the in-hospital mortality rate was 27.6%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Native-valve IE is the predominant type of endocarditis and is more of an acute disease. The prevalence of Staphylococci spp. IE is similar to that of Streptococci spp. IE, and its associated mortality remains high.
authors.affiliation: Royal Hospital, P.O. Box 2657, CPO 111 Muscat, Oman. Electronic address: salabri@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Seif Salem
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Al Abri
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Royal Hospital, Muscat, Oman. Electronic address: faisal.zahedi@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Faisal Iqbal
authors.initials: FI
authors.lastname: Zahedi
authors.affiliation: Regional epidemiologist, Muscat, Oman. Electronic address: geethasmohan@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Padmamohan J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Kurup
authors.affiliation: Royal Hospital, Muscat, Oman. Electronic address: draljardani@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Amina K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Al-Jardani
authors.affiliation: Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK. Electronic address: nbeeching@blueyonder.co.uk.
authors.forename: Nicholas J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Beeching
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004696:Endocarditis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009850:Oman / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative / Q000379:methods; D016019:Survival Analysis; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Endocarditis; Epidemiology; Infective; Oman; Outcome