Background: Mortality due to infective endocarditis (IE) in Chile is close to 30%.
Aim: To report the experience with patients admitted with the diagnosis of IE in a regional tertiary hospital.
Material and methods: Retrospective study of 107 patients aged 50 ± 16 years (75% males) discharged with a definitive diagnosis of IE according to modified DUKE criteria, between years 2003 and 2010. Demographic variables, severity scores, clinical characteristics, bacteriology and hospital evolution were recorded.
Results: Fifty nine percent of patients had concomitant cardiovascular problems. APACHE II and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) scores on admission were 8.4 ± 4.7 and 2.7 ± 2.8 respectively. Native valves were affected in 91% of cases (aortic and mitral valves in 62% and 50% of cases respectively). Prosthetic valves were affected in 9.3% of cases. Rheumatic heart disease was the predominant primary lesion in 10% of patients. Antibiotics were used in 45.1% before blood cultures were performed. In 68% of patients blood cultures were positive. S. viridans (30.8%), S.aureus (18.6%) and coagulase negative Streptococci (5.6%) were the identified microorganisms. Intensive care unit admission was required in 48% of patients. Renal, heart and neurological deterioration was observed in 53, 34 and 14% of patients, respectively. Twenty percent of patients developed systemic embolism and 37% required heart surgery. Mean hospital stay was 28.3 ± 19.1 days and 27% of patients died.
Conclusions: In this series of patients, IE has a high mortality. Most patients studied were admitted in bad conditions.