Impact of AHA's 2007 guideline change on incidence of infective endocarditis in infants and children

Antibiotic Prophylaxis and Infective Endocarditis Incidence Following Invasive Dental Procedures: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Importance

The association between antibiotic prophylaxis and infective endocarditis after invasive dental procedures is still unclear. Indications for antibiotic prophylaxis were restricted by guidelines beginning in 2007.

Objective

To systematically review and analyze existing evidence on the association between antibiotic prophylaxis and infective endocarditis following invasive dental procedures.

Data Sources

PubMed, Cochrane-CENTRAL, Scopus, Web of Science, Proquest, Embase, Dentistry and Oral Sciences Source, and ClinicalTrials.gov were systematically searched from inception to May 2023.

Study Selection

Studies on the association between antibiotic prophylaxis and infective endocarditis following invasive dental procedures or time-trend analyses of infective endocarditis incidence before and after current antibiotic prophylaxis guidelines were included.

Data Extraction and Synthesis

Study quality was evaluated using structured tools. Data were extracted by independent observers. A pooled relative risk (RR) of developing infective endocarditis following invasive dental procedures in individuals who were receiving antibiotic prophylaxis vs those who were not was computed by random-effects meta-analysis.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The outcome of interest was the incidence of infective endocarditis following invasive dental procedures in relation to antibiotic prophylaxis.

Results

Of 11 217 records identified, 30 were included (1 152 345 infective endocarditis cases). Of them, 8 (including 12 substudies) were either case-control/crossover or cohort studies or self-controlled case series, while 22 were time-trend studies; all were of good quality. Eight of the 12 substudies with case-control/crossover, cohort, or self-controlled case series designs performed a formal statistical analysis; 5 supported a protective role of antibiotic prophylaxis, especially among individuals at high risk, while 3 did not. By meta-analysis, antibiotic prophylaxis was associated with a significantly lower risk of infective endocarditis after invasive dental procedures in individuals at high risk (pooled RR, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.29-0.57; P for heterogeneity = .51; I2, 0%). Nineteen of the 22 time-trend studies performed a formal pre-post statistical analysis; 9 found no significant changes in infective endocarditis incidence, 7 demonstrated a significant increase for the overall population or subpopulations (individuals at high and moderate risk, streptococcus-infective endocarditis, and viridans group streptococci-infective endocarditis), whereas 3 found a significant decrease for the overall population and among oral streptococcus-infective endocarditis.

Conclusions and Relevance

While results from time-trend studies were inconsistent, data from case-control/crossover, cohort, and self-controlled case series studies showed that use of antibiotic prophylaxis is associated with reduced risk of infective endocarditis following invasive dental procedures in individuals at high risk, while no association was proven for those at low/unknown risk, thereby supporting current American Heart Association and European Society of Cardiology recommendations. Currently, there is insufficient data to support any benefit of antibiotic prophylaxis in individuals at moderate risk.

Infective endocarditis in childhood: a single-centre experience of 26 years

The aim of this study was to present the clinical and microbiological characteristics of patients with infective endocarditis.A retrospective evaluation was made of patients diagnosed with infective endocarditis between 1995 and 2021. The clinical and laboratory characteristics of the patients were recorded together with conditions constituting a risk for the development of endocarditis, treatment, and surgical outcomes.Evaluation was made of 68 patients with a mean age of 7.3 years (3 months-17 years), diagnosed with infective endocarditis. An underlying cause of CHD was determined in 47 (69%) patients and rheumatic valve disease in 3 (4.4%). There was no structural heart disease in 18 (26%) patients of whom 13 of them had other risk factors. A causative organism was found in 41 (60%) cases, and the microorganism most often determined was viridans group streptococcus. No difference was determined between the patients diagnosed before and after 2007 in respect of the frequency of viridans streptococcus (p > 0.05). Septic emboli were seen in 18 (26%) patients, of which 17 required surgical treatments. In 5 of 11 (16.6%) patients with mortality, the agent was S. aureus. Of the total 28 (41%) patients were evaluated as hospital-acquired endocarditis. The most frequently determined agents in this group were staphylococcus epidermidis and S. aureus.Although CHDs continue to be the greatest risk factor for endocarditis, there is an increasing frequency of endocarditis in patients with no structural heart disease. Mortality rates are still high in infective endocarditis, especially in S. aureus endocarditis.

Gender, Age, and Regional Disparities in the Incidence and Mortality Trends of Infective Endocarditis in the United States Between 1990 and 2019

The incidence of infective endocarditis (IE) has increased globally in the past decades, including in the United States. However, little is known about the differences in trends across states, gender, and age groups within the United States. Using the Global Burden of Disease database, we analyzed the incidence and mortality trends of IE in the United States between 1990 and 2019 using Joinpoint regression analyses, and compared between states, gender, and age groups. The age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR) of IE in the United States increased from 10.2/100,000 population in 1990 to 14.4 in 2019. The increase in ASIR was greater among men than women (45.8% vs 34.1%). The incidence increase was driven by 55+ year-olds (112.7% increase), with rapid increases in the 1990s and early 2000s, followed by a plateau around the mid-2000s. In contrast, the incidence among 5-to-19-year-olds decreased by -36.6% over the 30-year period. The incidence increased among all age groups in the last 5 years of observation (2015 to 2019), with the largest increase in 5-to-19-year-olds (3.3% yearly). The 30-year increase in ASIR was greatest in Utah (66.2%) and smallest in California (30.2%). The overall age-standardized mortality attributable to IE increased in the United States by 126% between 1990 and 2019 versus 19.6% globally. In conclusion, although the overall incidence and mortality of IE increased over the past 30 years in the United States, there are significant differences between regions, gender, and age groups. These findings indicate unevenly distributed disease burden of IE across the nation.

Swiss Evaluation Registry for Pediatric Infective Endocarditis (SERPIE) - Risk factors for complications in children and adolescents with infective endocarditis

BACKGROUND

Infective endocarditis (IE) in pediatric patients is a severe cardiac disease and its actual epidemiology and clinical outcome in Switzerland is scarcely studied.

METHODS

Retrospective nationwide multicenter data analysis of pediatric IE in children (<18 years) between 2011 and 2020.

RESULTS

69 patients were treated for definite (40/69;58%) or possible IE (29/69;42%). 61% (42/69) were male. Diagnosis was made at median 6.4 years (IQR 0.8-12.6) of age with 19 patients (28%) during the first year of life. 84% (58/69) had congenital heart defects. IE was located on pulmonary (25/69;35%), mitral (10/69;14%), tricuspid (8/69;12%) and aortic valve (6/69;9%), and rarely on ventricular septal defect (VSD;4/69;6%) and atrial septal defect (ASD;1/69;1%). In 22% (16/69) localization was unknown. 70% (48/69) had postoperative IE, with prosthetic material involved in 60% (29/48; right ventricular to pulmonary artery conduit (24), VSD (4), ASD (1)). Causative organisms were mostly Staphylococci spp. (25;36%) including Staphylococcus aureus (19;28%), and Streptococci spp. (13;19%). 51% (35/69) suffered from severe complications including congestive heart failure (16;23%), sepsis (17;25%) and embolism (19;28%). Staphylococcus aureus was found as a predictor of severe complications in univariate and multivariate analysis (p = 0.02 and p = 0.033). In 46% (32/69) cardiac surgery was performed. 7% (5/69) died.

CONCLUSIONS

IE in childhood remains a severe cardiac disease with relevant mortality. The high morbidity and high rate of complications is associated with Staphylococcus aureus infections. Congenital heart defects act as a risk factor for IE, in particular the high number of cases associated with prosthetic pulmonary valve needs further evaluation and therapeutic alternatives.

Bacterial Spectrum and Infective Foci in Patients Operated for Infective Endocarditis: Time to Rethink Strategies?

OBJECTIVE

The rising incidence of infective endocarditis (IE) accompanied by the de-escalation of antibiotic prophylaxis and the complexity of surgical treatment makes IE a daunting foe. We reviewed all patients who underwent cardiac surgery for IE at our institution with a focus on causative organisms and infective foci.

METHODS

A review of 3,952 consecutive patients who underwent cardiac surgery at our institution between January 2013 and December 2017 revealed 160 patients (4%) who were operated for IE.

RESULTS

The predominantly affected valves were the aortic (30%) and mitral valve (26.9%) as well as a combination of both (8.8%). A total of 28.8% of patients suffered from prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE). The most frequently identified causative organisms were Staphylococcus (45.7%), Streptococcus (27.5%), and Enterococcus species (16.7%), which was predominantly associated with PVE (p = 0.050). In 13.1% of patients, a causative organism has not been detected. The most frequent infective foci were dental (15%), soft-tissue infections (15%), spondylodiscitis (10%), and infected intravascular implants (8.8%). Relevant predisposing factors were immunosuppression (9.4%) and intravenous drug abuse (4.4%). Septic cerebral infarctions were diagnosed in 28.8% of patients. Postoperative mortality was 22.5%.

CONCLUSIONS

As the bacterial spectrum and the infective foci are still the "old acquaintances," and with regard to the increasing incidence of IE, current risk-benefit evaluations concerning antibiotic prophylaxis may need to be revisited.

Antibiotic Prophylaxis for Infective Endocarditis: A Survey of Practice Among Pediatric Cardiology Providers

The 2007 American Heart Association (AHA) guidelines limited antibiotic prophylaxis (AP) for infective endocarditis (IE) to fewer patients with predisposing cardiac conditions (PCC). We surveyed the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery (AAP SOCCS) on their recommendations for AP for a number of PCC and procedures. We report on those 173 respondents who follow the 2007 AHA guidelines. AP rates for high-risk PCCs clearly meeting AHA criteria ranged from 70.5-89.8%. Conversely, for PCCs which did not meet AHA criteria, prescribing rates varied from &lt;1% to 29.5%. PCC for which AP indication was unclear per guidelines, AP rates similarly varied from 9.9-39.8%. Similar variability is noted in AP for various procedures in setting of high-risk PCC. There is variability in AP prescribing practices among pediatric cardiologists based on both underlying PCC and noncardiac procedures in the setting of underlying cardiac disease.

First Pediatric Case of Clinically-Diagnosed Penicillin G-Induced Hemorrhagic Cystitis

Hemorrhagic cystitis is a diffuse inflammatory disease of the urinary bladder associated with macrohematuria. Several cases of hemorrhagic cystitis caused by penicillin G have been reported in adults but not children. Here we describe the first pediatric case of clinically-diagnosed penicillin G-induced hemorrhagic cystitis. The patient was a 9-year-old boy with a ventricular septal defect, chromosomal abnormalities, and infective endocarditis caused by Abiotrophia defectiva. After approximately four weeks of penicillin G administration, he had a culture-negative major hemorrhage with a clot. The hematuria resolved one week after penicillin G discontinuation, and a drug lymphocyte stimulation test for penicillin G was positive. In conclusion, penicillin G can also induce hemorrhagic cystitis in children. When large doses of penicillin G are used for long periods in adults or children, the patient should be monitored for hemorrhagic cystitis.

Infective endocarditis in children and adolescents: a different profile with clinical implications

BACKGROUND

Our aim was to compare pediatric infective endocarditis (IE) with the clinical profile and outcomes of IE in adults.

METHODS

Prospective multicenter registry in 31 Spanish hospitals including all patients with a diagnosis of IE from 2008 to 2020.

RESULTS

A total of 5590 patients were included, 49 were <18 years (0.1%). Congenital heart disease (CHD) was present in 31 children and adolescents (63.2%). Right-sided location was more common in children/adolescents than in adults (46.9% vs. 6.3%, P < 0.001). Pediatric pulmonary IE was more frequent in patients with CHD (48.4%) than in those without (5.6%), P = 0.004. Staphylococcus aureus etiology tended to be more common in pediatric patients (32.7%) than in adults (22.3%), P = 0.082. Heart failure was less common in pediatric patients than in adults, due to the lower rate of heart failure in children/adolescents with CHD (9.6%) with respect to those without CHD (44.4%), P = 0.005. Inhospital mortality was high in both children, and adolescents and adults (16.3% vs. 25.9%; P = 0.126).

CONCLUSIONS

Most IE cases in children and adolescents are seen in patients with CHD that have a more common right-sided location and a lower prevalence of heart failure than patients without CHD. IE in children and adolescents without CHD has a more similar profile to IE in adults.

IMPACT

Infective endocarditis (IE) in children and adolescents is often seen in patients with congenital heart disease (CHD). Right-sided location is the most common in patients with CHD and heart failure is less common as a complication compared with patients without CHD. Infective endocarditis (IE) in children/adolescents without CHD has a more similar profile to IE in adults. In children/adolescents without CHD, locations were similar to adults, including a predominance of left-sided IE. Acute heart failure was the most frequent complication, seen mainly in adults, and in children/adolescents without CHD.

Adapted from: Prevention of Viridans Group Streptococcal Infective Endocarditis: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association

BACKGROUND

In 2007, the American Heart Association published updated evidence-based guidelines on the recommended use of antibiotic prophylaxis to prevent viridans group streptococcal (VGS) infective endocarditis (IE) in cardiac patients undergoing invasive procedures. The 2007 guidelines significantly scaled back the underlying conditions for which antibiotic prophylaxis was recommended, leaving only 4 categories thought to confer the highest risk of adverse outcome. The purpose of this update is to examine interval evidence of the acceptance and impact of the 2007 recommendations on VGS IE and, if needed, to make revisions based on this evidence.

METHODS AND RESULTS

A writing group was formed consisting of experts in prevention and treatment of infective endocarditis including members of the American Dental Association, the Infectious Diseases Society of America, and the American Academy of Pediatrics, in addition to the American Heart Association. MEDLINE database searches were done for English language articles on compliance with the recommendations in the 2007 guidelines and the frequency of and morbidity or mortality from VGS IE after publication of the 2007 guidelines. Overall, there was good general awareness of the 2007 guidelines but variable compliance with recommendations. There was no convincing evidence that VGS IE frequency, morbidity, or mortality has increased since 2007.

CONCLUSIONS

On the basis of a review of the available evidence, there are no recommended changes to the 2007 VGS IE prevention guidelines. We continue to recommend VGS IE prophylaxis only for categories of patients at highest risk for adverse outcome while emphasizing the critical role of good oral health and regular access to dental care for all. Randomized controlled studies to determine whether antibiotic prophylaxis is effective against VGS IE are needed to further refine recommendations.

Infective Endocarditis in Children in Queensland, Australia: Epidemiology, Clinical Features and Outcome

BACKGROUND

Infective endocarditis (IE) is a rare entity in children associated with significant morbidity and mortality. To optimize management, it is important to understand local epidemiology, risk factors, clinical features and outcome. These are investigated in this retrospective 10-year study of endocarditis in children in Queensland.

METHODS

Children <18 years with IE were identified from the state-wide pediatric cardiology center (Mater Children's Hospital, 2009-2014; Queensland Children's Hospital, 2014-2018) through International Classification of Diseases codes and local cardiology database. Clinical records were assessed by a clinician and echocardiograms by a cardiologist. Incidence was calculated using Australian Bureau of Statistics Queensland Estimated Resident Population data, 2019.

RESULTS

Fifty-one children were identified, with an overall estimated incidence of 0.84 per 100,000 per year; 0.69 per 100,000 in 2009-2013 and 0.99 per 100,000 in 2014-2018, respectively. Twenty-four (47.1%) children were male and 10 (19.6%) were identified as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander peoples. Underlying cardiac conditions were present in 29 (56.9%): 25 congenital heart disease, 3 rheumatic heart disease and 1 cardiomyopathy. A causative pathogen was identified in 46 (90.2%) children with Staphylococcus aureus most common. Thirty-six (70.6%) met criteria for "Definite IE" as per modified Duke criteria, with the remainder "Possible IE." Surgery was required in 26 (51%). Median duration of antibiotics was 42 (interquartile range = 32-51) days and hospitalization 49 (interquartile range = 34-75) days. One child died due to IE.

CONCLUSIONS

IE in children in Queensland is increasing in incidence and is higher than the reported incidence in New Zealand and the United States. Congenital heart disease is the most common risk factor and S. aureus is the commonest responsible organism. Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander children are over-represented. Mortality remains low.

Prevention of Viridans Group Streptococcal Infective Endocarditis: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association

BACKGROUND

In 2007, the American Heart Association published updated evidence-based guidelines on the recommended use of antibiotic prophylaxis to prevent viridans group streptococcal (VGS) infective endocarditis (IE) in cardiac patients undergoing invasive procedures. The 2007 guidelines significantly scaled back the underlying conditions for which antibiotic prophylaxis was recommended, leaving only 4 categories thought to confer the highest risk of adverse outcome. The purpose of this update is to examine interval evidence of the acceptance and impact of the 2007 recommendations on VGS IE and, if needed, to make revisions based on this evidence.

METHODS AND RESULTS

A writing group was formed consisting of experts in prevention and treatment of infective endocarditis including members of the American Dental Association, the Infectious Diseases Society of America, and the American Academy of Pediatrics, in addition to the American Heart Association. MEDLINE database searches were done for English language articles on compliance with the recommendations in the 2007 guidelines and the frequency of and morbidity or mortality from VGS IE after publication of the 2007 guidelines. Overall, there was good general awareness of the 2007 guidelines but variable compliance with recommendations. There was no convincing evidence that VGS IE frequency, morbidity, or mortality has increased since 2007.

CONCLUSIONS

On the basis of a review of the available evidence, there are no recommended changes to the 2007 VGS IE prevention guidelines. We continue to recommend VGS IE prophylaxis only for categories of patients at highest risk for adverse outcome while emphasizing the critical role of good oral health and regular access to dental care for all. Randomized controlled studies to determine whether antibiotic prophylaxis is effective against VGS IE are needed to further refine recommendations.

Epidemiology of infective endocarditis before versus after change of international guidelines: a systematic review

Introduction:

All major international guidelines for the management of infective endocarditis (IE) have undergone major revisions, recommending antibiotic prophylaxis (AP) restriction to high-risk patients or foregoing AP completely. We performed a systematic review to investigate the effect of these guideline changes on the global incidence of IE.

Methods:

Electronic database searches were performed using Ovid Medline, EMBASE and Web of Science. Studies were included if they compared the incidence of IE prior to and following any change in international guideline recommendations. Relevant studies fulfilling the predefined search criteria were categorized according to their inclusion of either adult or pediatric patients. Incidence of IE, causative microorganisms and AP prescription rates were compared following international guideline updates.

Results:

Sixteen studies were included, reporting over 1.3 million cases of IE. The crude incidence of IE following guideline updates has increased globally. Adjusted incidence increased in one study after European guideline updates, while North American rates did not increase. Cases of IE with a causative pathogen identified ranged from 62% to 91%. Rates of streptococcal IE varied across adult and pediatric populations, while the relative proportion of staphylococcal IE increased (range pre-guidelines 16–24.8%, range post-guidelines 26–43%). AP prescription trends were reduced in both moderate and high-risk patients following guideline updates.

Discussion:

The restriction of AP to only high-risk patients has not resulted in an increase in the incidence of streptococcal IE in North American populations. The evidence of the impact of AP restriction on IE incidence is still unclear for other populations. Future population-based studies with adjusted incidence of IE, AP prescription rates and accurate pathogen identification are required to delineate findings further in these other regions.

Printed educational materials: effects on professional practice and healthcare outcomes

BACKGROUND

Printed educational materials are widely used dissemination strategies to improve the quality of healthcare professionals' practice and patient health outcomes. Traditionally they are presented in paper formats such as monographs, publication in peer-reviewed journals and clinical guidelines. This is the fourth update of the review.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the effect of printed educational materials (PEMs) on the practice of healthcare professionals and patient health outcomes. To explore the influence of some of the characteristics of the printed educational materials (e.g. source, content, format) on their effect on healthcare professionals' practice and patient health outcomes.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched MEDLINE, Embase, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), HealthStar, CINAHL, ERIC, CAB Abstracts, Global Health, and EPOC Register from their inception to 6 February 2019. We checked the reference lists of all included studies and relevant systematic reviews.

SELECTION CRITERIA

We included randomised trials (RTs), controlled before-after studies (CBAs) and interrupted time series studies (ITSs) that evaluated the impact of PEMs on healthcare professionals' practice or patient health outcomes. We included three types of comparisons: (1) PEM versus no intervention, (2) PEM versus single intervention, (3) multifaceted intervention where PEM is included versus multifaceted intervention without PEM. Any objective measure of professional practice (e.g. prescriptions for a particular drug), or patient health outcomes (e.g. blood pressure) were included.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two reviewers undertook data extraction independently. Disagreements were resolved by discussion. For analyses, we grouped the included studies according to study design, type of outcome and type of comparison. For controlled trials, we reported the median effect size for each outcome within each study, the median effect size across outcomes for each study and the median of these effect sizes across studies. Where data were available, we re-analysed the ITS studies by converting all data to a monthly basis and estimating the effect size from the change in the slope of the regression line between before and after implementation of the PEM. We reported median changes in slope for each outcome, for each study, and then across studies. We standardised all changes in slopes by their standard error, allowing comparisons and combination of different outcomes. We categorised each PEM according to potential effects modifiers related to the source of the PEMs, the channel used for their delivery, their content, and their format. We assessed the risks of bias of all the included studies.

MAIN RESULTS

We included 84 studies: 32 RTs, two CBAs and 50 ITS studies. Of the 32 RTs, 19 were cluster RTs that used various units of randomisation, such as practices, health centres, towns, or areas. The majority of the included studies (82/84) compared the effectiveness of PEMs to no intervention. Based on the RTs that provided moderate-certainty evidence, we found that PEMs distributed to healthcare professionals probably improve their practice, as measured with dichotomous variables, compared to no intervention (median absolute risk difference (ARD): 0.04; interquartile range (IQR): 0.01 to 0.09; 3,963 healthcare professionals randomised within 3073 units). We could not confirm this finding using the evidence gathered from continuous variables (standardised mean difference (SMD): 0.11; IQR: -0.16 to 0.52; 1631 healthcare professionals randomised within 1373 units ), from the ITS studies (standardised median change in slope = 0.69; 35 studies), or from the CBA study because the certainty of this evidence was very low. We also found, based on RTs that provided moderate-certainty evidence, that PEMs distributed to healthcare professionals probably make little or no difference to patient health as measured using dichotomous variables, compared to no intervention (ARD: 0.02; IQR: -0.005 to 0.09; 935,015 patients randomised within 959 units). The evidence gathered from continuous variables (SMD: 0.05; IQR: -0.12 to 0.09; 6,737 patients randomised within 594 units) or from ITS study results (standardised median change in slope = 1.12; 8 studies) do not strengthen these findings because the certainty of this evidence was very low. Two studies (a randomised trial and a CBA) compared a paper-based version to a computerised version of the same PEM. From the RT that provided evidence of low certainty, we found that PEM in computerised versions may make little or no difference to professionals' practice compared to PEM in printed versions (ARD: -0.02; IQR: -0.03 to 0.00; 139 healthcare professionals randomised individually). This finding was not strengthened by the CBA study that provided very low certainty evidence (SMD: 0.44; 32 healthcare professionals). The data gathered did not allow us to conclude which PEM characteristics influenced their effectiveness. The methodological quality of the included studies was variable. Half of the included RTs were at risk of selection bias. Most of the ITS studies were conducted retrospectively, without prespecifying the expected effect of the intervention, or acknowledging the presence of a secular trend.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

The results of this review suggest that, when used alone and compared to no intervention, PEMs may slightly improve healthcare professionals' practice outcomes and patient health outcomes. The effectiveness of PEMs compared to other interventions, or of PEMs as part of a multifaceted intervention, is uncertain.

Clinical outcomes for congenital heart disease patients presenting with infective endocarditis

INTRODUCTION

Infective endocarditis (IE) is a life-threatening adverse event for patients with congenital heart disease (CHD). Its incidence has changed little over time despite progress in techniques for diagnosis and treatment, and guidelines for prophylaxis.

AREAS COVERED

The review sought for key-words: 'congenital heart disease,' 'infective endocarditis,' 'microbial diagnosis,' 'imaging diagnosis,' 'surgical techniques,' 'prognosis,' 'prophylaxis.' Objectives were to investigate epidemiology, novel techniques for imaging and microbial diagnosis, therapeutic management and prognosis, and guidelines for prophylaxis in patients with CHD. The incidence of IE is increasing in adults with CHD. Morbidity caused by a broad clinical spectrum of cardiac and extracardiac episode-related complications is high. Surgical management is increasingly required in the early phase of the disease. Despite new techniques for diagnosis and microbiological therapy, mortality rate is still up to 10-20%.

EXPERT OPINION

IE has increased in the growing cohort of adults with complex heart disease, living with residual cardiac lesions and prosthetic materials. Diagnosis is challenging for complex heart defects. Pet-scan technique can provide beneficial information to locate intracardiac lesions and embolic foci. Identification of the microbiological agents is improving. Innovative surgical techniques aim to avoid prosthetic material. Guidelines for prophylaxis currently emphasize oral and skin daily hygiene.

Time-trend population analysis of the clinical and epidemiologic effect on pediatric infective endocarditis after change of antibiotic prophylaxis guidelines

PURPOSE

In 2007, antibiotic prophylaxis (AP) guidelines for infective endocarditis (IE) changed, but the possible influence on the annual incidences of pediatric IE is unclear.

METHODS

We studied the clinical and epidemiologic impact of AP change by comparing two time periods before and after change of AP guidelines in a tertiary care center as referral center for a total population of more than 4,500,000 inhabitants.

RESULTS

After change of AP guidelines, twenty-five patients were diagnosed for IE at a median age of 6.9 years (range 0.1-19.4, female 48%). Modified Duke criteria were fulfilled for definite (12/25; 48%), or probable IE (13/25; 52%). The frequency of IE (cases per 1000 hospitalized patients) increased from 0.37% (1995-2005) to 0.59% (2006-2017) [p = 0.152], the annual incidence of IE (cases per 1000 CHD patients, < 20 years of age) increased from 0.195 ‰ to 0.399 ‰ [p = 0.072]. Postoperative IE (13/25; 52%), was associated mostly with prosthetic pulmonary valves (12/13; 92%). Pathogens were staphylococci spp. (8/25; 32%), streptococci spp. (7/25; 28%), HACEK (3/25; 12%), other (4/25; 16%), or culture-negative (3/25; 12%). Treatment included antibiotics (25/25; 100%), and cardiac surgery (16/25; 64%). The clinical findings and complications of pediatric IE including mortality (2/25; 8%) did not differ between the two time periods.

CONCLUSIONS

Pediatric IE remains a severe cardiac disease with a comparable clinical picture. Unless increasing absolute case numbers of IE, the relative case number of IE remains stable despite AP change. The high number of prosthetic pulmonary valve associated IE needs further evaluation and therapeutic alternatives.

Investigation of the impact of the NICE guidelines regarding antibiotic prophylaxis during invasive dental procedures on the incidence of infective endocarditis in England: an electronic health records study

BACKGROUND

Infective endocarditis is an uncommon but serious infection, where evidence for giving antibiotic prophylaxis before invasive dental procedures is inconclusive. In England, antibiotic prophylaxis was offered routinely to patients at risk of infective endocarditis until March 2008, when new guidelines aimed at reducing unnecessary antibiotic use were issued. We investigated whether changes in infective endocarditis incidence could be detected using electronic health records, assessing the impact of inclusion criteria/statistical model choice on inferences about the timing/type of any change.

METHODS

Using national data from Hospital Episode Statistics covering 1998-2017, we modelled trends in infective endocarditis incidence using three different sets of inclusion criteria plus a range of regression models, identifying the most likely date for a change in trends if evidence for one existed. We also modelled trends in the proportions of different organism groups identified during infection episodes, using secondary diagnosis codes and data from national laboratory records. Lastly, we applied non-parametric local smoothing to visually inspect any changes in trend around the guideline change date.

RESULTS

Infective endocarditis incidence increased markedly over the study (22.2-41.3 per million population in 1998 to 42.0-67.7 in 2017 depending on inclusion criteria). The most likely dates for a change in incidence trends ranged from September 2001 (uncertainty interval August 2000-May 2003) to May 2015 (March 1999-January 2016), depending on inclusion criteria and statistical model used. For the proportion of infective endocarditis cases associated with streptococci, the most likely change points ranged from October 2008 (March 2006-April 2010) to August 2015 (September 2013-November 2015), with those associated with oral streptococci decreasing in proportion after the change point. Smoothed trends showed no notable changes in trend around the guideline date.

CONCLUSIONS

Infective endocarditis incidence has increased rapidly in England, though we did not detect any change in trends directly following the updated guidelines for antibiotic prophylaxis, either overall or in cases associated with oral streptococci. Estimates of when changes occurred were sensitive to inclusion criteria and statistical model choice, demonstrating the need for caution in interpreting single models when using large datasets. More research is needed to explore the factors behind this increase.

'Caveat emptor': the cautionary tale of endocarditis and the potential pitfalls of clinical coding data-an electronic health records study

BACKGROUND

Diagnostic codes from electronic health records are widely used to assess patterns of disease. Infective endocarditis is an uncommon but serious infection, with objective diagnostic criteria. Electronic health records have been used to explore the impact of changing guidance on antibiotic prophylaxis for dental procedures on incidence, but limited data on the accuracy of the diagnostic codes exists. Endocarditis was used as a clinically relevant case study to investigate the relationship between clinical cases and diagnostic codes, to understand discrepancies and to improve design of future studies.

METHODS

Electronic health record data from two UK tertiary care centres were linked with data from a prospectively collected clinical endocarditis service database (Leeds Teaching Hospital) or retrospective clinical audit and microbiology laboratory blood culture results (Oxford University Hospitals Trust). The relationship between diagnostic codes for endocarditis and confirmed clinical cases according to the objective Duke criteria was assessed, and impact on estimations of disease incidence and trends.

RESULTS

In Leeds 2006-2016, 738/1681(44%) admissions containing any endocarditis code represented a definite/possible case, whilst 263/1001(24%) definite/possible endocarditis cases had no endocarditis code assigned. In Oxford 2010-2016, 307/552(56%) reviewed endocarditis-coded admissions represented a clinical case. Diagnostic codes used by most endocarditis studies had good positive predictive value (PPV) but low sensitivity (e.g. I33-primary 82% and 43% respectively); one (I38-secondary) had PPV under 6%. Estimating endocarditis incidence using raw admission data overestimated incidence trends twofold. Removing records with non-specific codes, very short stays and readmissions improved predictive ability. Estimating incidence of streptococcal endocarditis using secondary codes also overestimated increases in incidence over time. Reasons for discrepancies included changes in coding behaviour over time, and coding guidance allowing assignment of a code mentioning 'endocarditis' where endocarditis was never mentioned in the clinical notes.

CONCLUSIONS

Commonly used diagnostic codes in studies of endocarditis had good predictive ability. Other apparently plausible codes were poorly predictive. Use of diagnostic codes without examining sensitivity and predictive ability can give inaccurate estimations of incidence and trends. Similar considerations may apply to other diseases. Health record studies require validation of diagnostic codes and careful data curation to minimise risk of serious errors.

Infective endocarditis - An update for dental surgeons

Infective endocarditis (IE) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The prevention of infective endocarditis, for many years, has involved the identification of at risk patients undergoing medical or dental procedures and the use of pre-procedural antibiotic prophylaxis. However, evidence regarding the effectiveness of such measures is lacking while evidence is mounting for the adverse effects of inappropriate antibiotic use. International guidelines for antibiotic prophylaxis were amended, radically in some cases to reflect this. Subsequent epidemiological observations of IE have shown mixed results, strengthening calls for well conducted randomised control trials, now that there is genuine clinical equipoise among clinicians about this question.

Clinical Characteristics of Infective Endocarditis in Children

BACKGROUND

Infective endocarditis (IE) remains a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge associated with high morbidity and mortality. We evaluated the microbial profile and clinical manifestation of IE in children.

METHODS

A retrospective study examining pediatric IE cases treated between 2000 and 2017 at the Department of Pediatric Cardiology, KU Leuven, was conducted. Clinical presentation, treatment, complications, outcome of IE, underlying microorganisms and congenital heart defects were reviewed.

RESULTS

Fifty-three patients were diagnosed with IE. Overall, 19 patients (36%) required cardiac surgery. Seven patients (13%) died. Eighty-seven percent of patients had an underlying congenital cardiac defect. Eighteen (34%) children presented with prosthetic graft IE. A causative organism was found in 49 (92%) cases: viridans group streptococci were identified in 17 (32%), Staphylococcus aureus in 13 (25%) and coagulase-negative staphylococci in 11 (20%) children. Community-acquired (CA) IE increased significantly from 8 (33%) cases in 2000-2007 to 20 (74%) cases in 2008-2017 (P < 0.01). Even with viridans streptococci being significantly more prevalent in the CA group (P < 0.01), we did not observe an increase of streptococcal IE from 2008 to 2017. Seventeen (32%) patients presented with hospital-acquired IE during the first year of life with 14 (82%) children after surgery and a prevalence of coagulase-negative staphylococci (53%).

CONCLUSIONS

The incidence of pediatric IE was similar over the investigated time period with a shift toward CA IE. Streptococci and staphylococci accounted for the majority of cases in both periods. Awareness of IE and its prevention is crucial in patients after implantation of prosthetic grafts.

Preoperative Evaluation of the Pediatric Patient

The article reviews frequently encountered preoperative concerns with a goal of minimizing complications during administration of pediatric anesthesia. It is written with general anesthesiologists in mind and provides a helpful overview of concerns for pediatric patient preparation for routine and nonemergent procedures or interventions. It covers unique topics for the pediatric population, including gestational age, respiratory and cardiovascular concerns, fasting guidelines, and management of preoperative anxiety, as well as the current hot topic of the potential neurotoxic effects of anesthetics on the developing brain.

Effect of Congenital Heart Disease Status on Trends in Pediatric Infective Endocarditis Hospitalizations in the United States Between 2000 and 2012

The purpose of this study was to create national estimates for the incidence of pediatric infective endocarditis (IE) in the United States and to determine if these changed after the implementation of the 2007 American Heart Association IE guidelines. It also sought to determine the effect of congenital heart disease (CHD) status on outcomes in IE. Hospital discharges with the diagnosis of IE in patients < 18 years old from the Kids' Inpatient Database were identified from the years 2000, 2003, 2006, 2009, and 2012. Discharges were grouped into Pre- and Post-2007 groups to facilitate analysis surrounding the implementation of the guidelines in 2007. Patients were categorized by age, underlying CHD, and etiologic organism. Descriptive comparisons and changes in categorical variables were made between groups. Average annual IE hospitalization rates before and after the 2007 guidelines were 10.8 and 9.3 per 1,000,000 children, respectively. The proportion of IE patients with CHD was stable between time periods, (45% vs. 47%, p = 0.50). Mortality was higher in the Post-2007 time period for CHD patients than non-CHD patients (11.1% vs. 2.4%, respectively; p < 0.001), while there was no difference noted during the Pre-2007 time period (6.5% vs. 6.6%, respectively; p = 0.95). Streptococcus was more common among CHD patients than non-CHD patients (27% vs. 17%), while Staphylococcus was more common among non-CHD patients than CHD patients (34% vs. 24%, p < 0.001). Even though the incidence of IE was stable over time, mortality was higher in CHD patients after the implementation of the 2007 AHA IE prophylaxis guidelines.

Antibiotic Prophylaxis and Incidence of Endocarditis Before and After the 2007 AHA Recommendations

BACKGROUND

The American Heart Association updated its recommendations for antibiotic prophylaxis (AP) to prevent infective endocarditis (IE) in 2007, advising that AP cease for those at moderate risk of IE, but continue for those at high risk.

OBJECTIVES

The authors sought to quantify any change in AP prescribing and IE incidence.

METHODS

High-risk, moderate-risk, and unknown/low-risk individuals with linked prescription and Medicare or commercial health care data were identified in the Truven Health MarketScan databases from May 2003 through August 2015 (198,522,665 enrollee-years of data). AP prescribing and IE incidence were evaluated by Poisson model analysis.

RESULTS

By August 2015, the 2007 recommendation change was associated with a significant 64% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 59% to 68%) estimated fall in AP prescribing for moderate-risk individuals and a 20% (95% CI: 4% to 32%) estimated fall for those at high risk. Over the same period, there was a barely significant 75% (95% CI: 3% to 200%) estimated increase in IE incidence among moderate-risk individuals and a significant 177% estimated increase (95% CI: 66% to 361%) among those at high risk. In unknown/low-risk individuals, there was a significant 52% (95% CI: 46% to 58%) estimated fall in AP prescribing, but no significant increase in IE incidence.

CONCLUSIONS

AP prescribing fell among all IE risk groups, particularly those at moderate risk. Concurrently, there was a significant increase in IE incidence among high-risk individuals, a borderline significant increase in moderate-risk individuals, and no change for those at low/unknown risk. Although these data do not establish a cause-effect relationship between AP reduction and IE increase, the fall in AP prescribing in those at high risk is of concern and, coupled with the borderline increase in IE incidence among those at moderate risk, warrants further investigation.

Staphylococcus aureus

Staphylococcus aureus is a bacterium that can cause a variety of illnesses through suppurative or nonsuppurative (toxin-mediated) means. S aureus is a common cause of skin and skin structure infections as well as osteoarticular infections in the pediatric population. S aureus is also identified in cases of septicemia, infective endocarditis, pneumonia, ocular infections, and central nervous system infections. To design appropriate empirical therapy, pediatricians should be knowledgeable about the resistance patterns of S aureus in their communities, including methicillin and clindamycin resistance. This article reviews the microbiology, colonization and transmission, and antibiotic resistance of and clinical diseases caused by S aureus.