INFECTIVE ENDOCARDITIS DIAGNOSIS ANTIMICROBIAL THERAPY AND MANAGEMENT

Infective Endocarditis (IE) is the inflammation of inner heart tissue and its valves, caused by infecting micro-flora. The median age of patients has increased from 30 years to currently 57.9 years. The disease is uncommon in children unless associated with cardiac defects, surgical procedures or nosocomial catheter related bacteremia. The characteristic lesion of IE is the vegetation, amorphous mass of platelets and fibrin with dense bacteria, and inflammatory cells enmeshed. In IE infecting organisms are viridans group of Streptococci, Streptococci, Staphylococci, HACEK group of organisms and fungi. Diagnosis of IE is by modified Duke Criteria, evidence of infecting bacteria and evidence of endocarditis by two dimensional echocardiography .Treatment of IE with IV bactericidal antibiotics, penicillin, ceftriaxone and an amino glycoside added for Enterococci. Fungal infection may be treated with amphotericin and flucocytosine. IE may be associated with high mortality.