title: Infective endocarditis: a tertiary referral centre experience from Turkey.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We aimed to define the current characteristics of infective endocarditis (IE) in a part of Turkey.
  
  
  METHODS
  All patients who were hospitalized in our hospital with a diagnosis of IE between 2009 and 2014 were included in the study. Data were collected from archives records of all patients. Modified Duke criteria were used for diagnosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 85 IE cases during the study period. The mean age of patients was 52 years. Fourty eight of patients were males. Native valves involved in 47%, prostetic valves involved in 40% and pacemaker or ICD lead IE in 13% of patients. Mitral valve was the most common site of vegetationb (38%). The most common valvular pathology was mitral regurgitation. The most common predisposing factor was prosthetic valve disease (40%). Positive culture rate was 68%. Staphylococci were the most frequent causative microorganisms isolated (27%) followed by Streptococcus spp. (11%). In-hospital mortality rate was 36%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In Turkey, IE occurs in relatively young patients. In high developed part of Turkey, prosthetic and dejenerative valve disease is taking the place of rheumatic valve disease as a predisposing factor. Surgery is an important factor for preventing mortality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Yuksek Ihtisas Training and Research Hospital Bursa, Turkey.
authors.forename: Fahriye Vatansever
authors.initials: FV
authors.lastname: Agca
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Yuksek Ihtisas Training and Research Hospital Bursa, Turkey.
authors.forename: Necmiye
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Demircan
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Yuksek Ihtisas Training and Research Hospital Bursa, Turkey.
authors.forename: Tezcan
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Peker
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Yuksek Ihtisas Training and Research Hospital Bursa, Turkey.
authors.forename: Hasan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ari
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Yuksek Ihtisas Training and Research Hospital Bursa, Turkey.
authors.forename: Kemal
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Karaagac
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Yuksek Ihtisas Training and Research Hospital Bursa, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ozlem Arican
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Ozluk
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Yuksek Ihtisas Training and Research Hospital Bursa, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yilmaz
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Yuksek Ihtisas Training and Research Hospital Bursa, Turkey.
authors.forename: Erhan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tenekecioglu
keywords: Infective endocarditis; epidemiology; mortality