Endocarditis

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Heart, section through the middle

Heart, front view

Janeway lesion - close-up

Janeway lesion on the finger

Endocarditis

Alternative Names:

Valve infection
Treatment:

Hospitalization is often required initially to administer intravenous antibiotics. Long-term antibiotic therapy is required to eradicate the bacteria from the heart chambers and valves.

Therapy up to 6 weeks is not uncommon. The chosen antibiotic must be specific for the organism causing the condition. This is determined by the blood culture and the sensitivity tests.

text continues below

Activity is restricted to bed rest initially, then it is gradually increased as the condition improves. No special diet (such as a low-salt diet) is necessary, unless it is required because of an underlying heart disorder.

If heart failure develops as a result of damaged heart valves, or if the infection is breaking off in little pieces, resulting in a series of strokes, surgery to replace the affected heart valve may be indicated.

Expectations (prognosis):

Early treatment of endocarditis improves the chances of a good outcome.

Complications:

congestive heart failure if treatment is delayed
blood clots that travel to the brain, kidneys, lungs, or abdomen, causing severe damage to these organs
arrhythmias (rapid or irregular heartbeat), such as atrial fibrillation
glomerulonephritis
severe heart valve damage
stroke
brain abscess
brain or nervous system changes
jaundice

Calling your health care provider:

Call your health care provider if you note the following symptoms during or after treatment: