Tricuspid valve endocarditis following central venous cannulation: The increasing problem of catheter related infection

Clinical characteristics and risk factors for right-sided infective endocarditis in Korea: a 12-year retrospective cohort study

Right-sided infective endocarditis (RSIE) is less common than left-sided infective endocarditis (LSIE) and exhibits distinct epidemiological, clinical, and microbiological characteristics. Previous studies have focused primarily on RSIE in patients with intravenous drug use. We investigated the characteristics and risk factors for RSIE in an area where intravenous drug use is uncommon. A retrospective cohort study was conducted at a tertiary hospital in South Korea. Patients diagnosed with infective endocarditis between November 2005 and August 2017 were categorized into LSIE and RSIE groups. Of the 406 patients, 365 (89.9%) had LSIE and 41 (10.1%) had RSIE. The mortality rates were 31.7% in the RSIE group and 31.5% in the LSIE group (P = 0.860). Patients with RSIE had a higher prevalence of infection with Staphylococcus aureus (29.3% vs. 13.7%, P = 0.016), coagulase-negative staphylococci (17.1% vs. 6.0%, P = 0.022), and gram-negative bacilli other than HACEK (12.2% vs. 2.2%, P = 0.003). Younger age (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.97, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.95-0.99, P = 0.006), implanted cardiac devices (aOR 37.75, 95% CI 11.63-141.64, P ≤ 0.001), and central venous catheterization  (aOR 4.25, 95%  CI 1.14-15.55, P = 0.029) were independent risk factors for RSIE. Treatment strategies that consider the epidemiologic and microbiologic characteristics of RSIE are warranted.

Orthodontics in patients with significant medical co-morbidities

A wide variety of patients with medical co-morbidities may present to general orthodontic practice. It is important for the treating clinician to have a general understanding of key medical conditions that may impact upon the treatment and management options. This clinical supplement provides a treatment-focused summative update for the orthodontist regarding significant medical co-morbidities, their general prevalence and an exploration of potential impacts upon orthodontic treatment. This review also discusses the significance of key medications and provides suggestions for the safe provision of orthodontic treatment.

Bacterial co-infections and superinfections in COVID-19: a case report of right heart infective endocarditis and literature review

Coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) is a worldwide pandemic with significant morbidity and mortality. Patients with severe forms of the disease are usually managed in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), where they can develop secondary infections particularly bacterial, favored by prolonged intubation and central venous catheterization (CVC), hence increasing the disease’s mortality. Infectious endocarditis (IE) represents a rare and severe cardiovascular complication in patients with CVC. We report the case of a patient admitted to the ICU for an acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) due to COVID19. Her management included intubation and mechanical ventilation, CVC and treatment with Hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin, and echocardiography findings were unremarkable. On the 10th day of onset, the patient developed septic shock and both echocardiography and blood cultures were in favor of A positive diagnosis of tricuspid valve infective endocarditis, accordingly to the modified Duke criteria. Specific treatment was started with a good clinical evolution. Our case outlines the difficulty of management of bacterial co-infections and superinfections in COVID-19 ICU patients, and particularly rare infections such as right-heart IE, which usually require a multidisciplinary approach and coordination between intensivits, cardiologists and infectiologists.

Tricuspid valve endocarditis in non-drug abusers: A case series from India

Objective

The etiology of tricuspid valve endocarditis (TVE) seems to be different in our country as intravenous (IV) drug abuse is not known to be a major health hazard. The objective of this communication is to study the risk factors, clinical profile, follow-up data of TVE patients and focus on the difficulties in diagnosis and variations encountered.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of data of 10 patients of TVE managed in a tertiary care center during January 1992 to June 2015 was done.

Results

TVE was encountered in a diverse subset of patients with cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED) (group I; 3 patients), immunocompromised state with indwelling central venous catheter (CVC) (group II; 2 patients), congenital heart disease (CHD) (group III; 3 patients) and in apparently healthy individuals (group IV; 2 patients). Blood cultures were negative in half the patients. In group I early surgical extraction of leads, device and vegetation provided excellent results. Prognosis was poor with 100% mortality in immunocompromised patients. Patients in group III did well on medical management. The overall mortality was high (30% in hospital and additional 20% within one year).

Conclusions

TVE is rare and can occur in different clinical scenarios. Indiscriminate use of antibiotics modifies the clinical picture causing delay in diagnosis and referral to speciality care. Echocardiography remains the main modality and should be used serially to facilitate early diagnosis. The prognosis is guarded. Early surgery is recommended in pacemaker lead, fungal endocarditis, persistent sepsis or hemodynamic instability for favorable prognosis.