title: Clinical and microbiological findings of infective endocarditis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Infective endocarditis (IE) is an infection that develops on the endothelial surface of the heart. Endocarditis is a major problem for the clinicians despite of the developments in diagnostic, surgical, and medical treatment methods. In this study, we aimed to evaluate symptoms, laboratory findings, treatment options, and clinical endpoint of the patients who were diagnosed with IE in a tertiary healthcare organization according to the literature data.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between January 2006 and March 2013, 80 IE patients who were diagnosed and treated in accordance with modified Duke criteria were enrolled in the study. Demographic features, symptoms, and laboratory and echocardiographic findings were recorded after reviewing the patient files.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of the patients was 51.3 ± 16.0, and IE was more common in men (n = 56; 70%). Of 41 patients who had positive blood cultures, 20 patients had Staphylococcus spp. (48.7%) and 8 patients had Streptococcus spp. (19.5%). Brucella spp. was isolated from 5 patients (12.2%). While 48.7% (n = 39) of the patients had cardiac complications, 22 patients (27.5%) had embolic complication. Hospital mortality was observed in 20 patients (15%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In our patients, endocarditis was seen at a young age, and staphylococci were the most frequently isolated microorganism from blood culture. There were more patients with Brucella endocarditis compared to the general population. Complications are frequently seen in the course of endocarditis, and they cause problems for the clinicians during follow ups due to the high mortality rate of IE.
authors.affiliation: Biga State Hospital, Canakkale, Turkey. ncancan@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Nur
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cancan Gursul
authors.forename: Ilknur
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Vardar
authors.forename: Tuna
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Demirdal
authors.forename: Erdal
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gursul
authors.forename: Serap
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ural
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yesil
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003710:Demography; D003955:Diagnostic Tests, Routine; D004452:Echocardiography; D004696:Endocarditis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers; D055815:Young Adult