rheumatic heart disease (RHD). Methods: Our IEC management team serves two large tertiary centres. Between 2005 and 2016, we recruited 562 patients with ...
Multidisciplinary approach for the management of infective endocarditis in patients with rheumatic heart disease: a paradigm of collaboration. S. Anwer1, M. Atef1, D. Osama2, N. Hassan3, Y. Aboul Fotouh1, S. Moharem-Elgamal1, M. Seleem1, A. Katta1, A. El Kholy4, M. Enany4, H. Rizk2, M. Meshaal2. (1) National Heart Institute, Cardiovascular Medicine Department - Infective Endocarditis Unit, Cairo, Egypt. (2) Cairo University, Cardiovascular Medicine Department, Cairo, Egypt. (3) National Heart Institute, Clinical Pharmacology Department, Cairo, Egypt. (4) Cairo University, Clinical and Chemical Pathology Department, Cairo, Egypt
Introduction: Infective Endocarditis (IEC) is an uncommon, but potentially fatal diagnosis, especially if it complicates rheumatic heart disease (RHD).
Methods: Our IEC management team serves two large tertiary centres. Between 2005 and 2016, we recruited 562 patients with definite IEC. We conducted a retrospective analysis of all IEC patients with RHD (n=318, 56.6%), and compared their data with non-RHD IEC patients (n=224) who had either another predisposing cardiac condition (congenital heart disease, degenerative valve disease, inherited cardiomyopathies, IV drug abuse with normal heart), or no predispositions.
Conclusion: A dedicated multidisciplinary team is of the utmost importance for proper clinical profiling and management of IEC patients. RHD is a common IEC-predisposing condition causing rapid deterioration in cardiac condition. We strongly recommend routine serological testing and advanced imaging for the detection of vascular complications in all patients.
