Cardiology Commons^™

A “Fishy” Situation, Rare Pathogen And Presentation In Prosthetic Valve Infective Endocarditis, Nichole Schtupak, Patrick Kennedy, Darko Pucar, Linda Godinez, Jodi-Ann Chin, Kristen Selema, Dipan Uppa, Antonio Lewis, Marcelo Helguera

DMSc Student Publications

Lactococcus garviae (L. garviae) is a gram-positive coccus belonging to the Streptococcaceae family. While primarily a pathogen in fish farms causing hemorrhagic sepsis, it can act as a rare opportunistic pathogen in humans. A 2021 case report by Bravo et al. documented less than 30 cases of infective endocarditis caused by L. garviae worldwide at that time. This case report describes the 27th documented case globally and 7th documented case in the USA of L. garviae causing infective endocarditis of a prosthetic valve.
L. garviae is found in unpasteurized dairy products, raw fish, and meat (pork, beef, and …

Swiss Cheese Heart: A Tale Of Multiple Valve Perforations, Hussam Al Hennawi, Shayan I. Khan, Aamna Khan, Usama Sadiq, Sung-Hae Cho

Abington Jefferson Health Papers

Gerbode defect, an anomalous connection between the left ventricle and right atrium, is often congenital but can be acquired or iatrogenically formed. We present an exceedingly rare case of this defect associated with multiple valve perforation in an otherwise healthy patient with bicuspid aortic valve and endocarditis.

Cardiac Surgery For Treatment Of Covid-19-Associated Infectious Endocarditis, Ali Taghizadeh-Waghefi, Asen Petrov, Manuel Wilbring, Konstantin Alexiou, Utz Kappert, Klaus Matschke, Sems-Malte Tugtekin

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

BACKGROUND: Significant uncertainty exists about the optimal timing of surgery for infectious endocarditis (IE) surgery in patients with active SARS-CoV-2 infection. This case series and a systematic review of the literature were carried out to evaluate the timing of surgery and postsurgical outcomes for patients with COVID-19-associated IE.

METHODS: The PubMed database was searched for reports published from June 20, 2020, to June 24, 2021, that contained the terms infective endocarditis and COVID-19. A case series of 8 patients from the authors' facility was also added.

RESULTS: A total of 12 cases were included, including 4 case reports that met …

Native Valve Endocarditis Complicated By Abscess Formation Caused By Rothia Mucilaginosa, S Haddad, Y Saade, B Ramlawi, B Kreidieh, B Gilbert, S Rao

Division of Infectious Diseases and Environmental Medicine Faculty Papers

Rothia mucilaginosa is increasingly recognized as an emerging pathogen associated with endocarditis. It has mostly been reported a causative agent for prosthetic valve endocarditis. The previously reported cases of native valve endocarditis caused by this organism only required medical treatment with no surgical intervention. We report a case of R. mucilaginosa native valve endocarditis complicated by abscess formation requiring surgical intervention and review the literature of native valve endocarditis caused by this organism.

Surgical Treatment Of Valvular Heart Disease In Nigeria: A 6-Year Experience, Ikechukwu A Nwafor, John C Eze, Maureen N Nwafor

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Surgical treatment of valvular heart disease in Nigeria, the most populous country in sub-Saharan Africa, is adversely affected by socioeconomic factors such as poverty and ignorance. To evaluate our experience in this context, we identified all patients who underwent surgery for acquired or congenital valvular heart disease at our Nigerian center from February 2013 through January 2019. We collected data from their medical records, including patient age and sex, pathophysiologic causes and types of valvular disease, surgical treatment, and outcomes. Ninety-three patients (43 males [46.2%]; mean age, 38.9 ± 10.0 yr [range, 11–80 yr]) underwent surgical treatment of a total …

From Leads To Leadless: A Convoluted Journey, Vipin Dulam, Joshua M. Cooper, Chethan Gangireddy, Mohammed A. Kashem, Yoshiya Toyoda, Suresh Keshavamurthy

Surgery Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Mechanical Prosthetic Valve Sparing For Aortic Root Abscess Complicated By Infective Endocarditis, Ahmed Ahmed, Ayman Ammar, Yasser Elnahas, Mohammed Abd Al Jawad

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Aortic root abscess complicated by infective endocarditis of a mechanical prosthetic valve is associated with morbidity and death. We retrospectively report our experience with a valve-sparing technique for managing this condition.

From October 2014 through November 2017, 41 patients at our center underwent surgery for aortic root abscess complicated by infective endocarditis of a mechanical prosthetic valve. Twenty (48.7%) met prespecified criteria for use of our valve-sparing technique after careful assessment of the mechanical valve and surrounding tissues. Our technique involved draining the abscess, aggressively débriding all infected and necrotic tissues, and then repairing the resulting defect by suturing a …

"Eyeing" The Cause Of Heart Failure: Visible Telltale Clues, Herbert L Fred, Manoj Thangam

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

No abstract provided.

Endocarditis And Incomplete Endothelialization 12 Years After Amplatzer Septal Occluder Deployment, Allan K Nguyen, Brian A Palafox, Joanne P Starr, Richard N Gates, Farbouch Berdjis

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

A 4-year-old boy had a 15-mm atrial septal defect repaired percutaneously with use of an Amplatzer Septal Occluder. At age 16 years, he presented with a week's history of fever, chills, dyspnea, fatigue, and malaise. Cultures grew methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus. A transesophageal echocardiogram showed a 1.25 × 1.5-cm pedunculated mass on the left aspect of the atrial septum just superior to the mitral valve, and a smaller vegetation on the right inferior medial aspect of the septum. At surgery, visual examination of both sides of the septum revealed granulation tissue, the pedunculated mass, the small vegetation, and exposed metal …

Nontyphoidal Cardiac Salmonellosis: Two Case Reports And A Review Of The Literature, Daniel Ortiz, Eric M Siegal, Christopher Kramer, Bijoy K Khandheria, Ernesto Brauer

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Nontyphoidal Salmonella, especially Salmonella enterica, is a rare cause of endocarditis and pericarditis that carries a high mortality rate. Proposed predisposing conditions include immunodeficiency states, congenital heart defects, and cardiac valve diseases. We present 2 cases of cardiovascular salmonellosis. The first case is that of a 73-year-old woman with mechanical mitral and bioprosthetic aortic valves who died from sequelae of nontyphoidal Salmonella mitral valve vegetation, aortic valve abscess, and sepsis. The second case is that of a 62-year-old man with a recent systemic lupus erythematosus exacerbation treated with oral steroids, who presented with obstructive features of tamponade and sepsis secondary …

Repair Of Bicuspid Aortic Valve In The Presence Of Endocarditis And Leaflet Perforation, William D T Kent, Hadi D Toeg, Jehangir J Appoo

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Aortic valve repair can be a good option in younger patients who have severe aortic regurgitation. A systematic, disease-directed approach can simplify repair. This case report describes how a simplified approach can be successfully applied to complex pathologic conditions of the aortic valve.

A 49-year-old man with a bicuspid aortic valve and a history of endocarditis presented with severe aortic regurgitation and evidence of recurrent infection. Intraoperatively, we found congenital and degenerative aortic anatomy with endocarditis and perforation. We performed aortic valve repair to enable leaflet coaptation and to adjust the coaptation height. After 24 months, the patient remained well, …

Corrigendum For “Acute Aortic Valve Rupture From Infective Endocarditis”, Julia Ansari, Gurkaran Singh Garcha, Henry Huang, Faisal G. Bakaeen, Salim S. Virani, Hani Jneid

Office of the Provost

No abstract provided.

Infective Endocarditis In The U.S., 1998–2009: A Nationwide Study, David H. Bor, Steffie Woolhandler, Rachel Nardin, David Brusch, David U. Himmelstein

Publications and Research

Background
Previous studies based on local case series estimated the annual incidence of endocarditis in the U.S. at about 4 per 100,000 population. Small-scale studies elsewhere have reported similar incidence rates. However, no nationally-representative population-based studies have verified these estimates.

Methods and Findings
Using the 1998–2009 Nationwide Inpatient Sample, which provides diagnoses from about 8 million U.S. hospitalizations annually, we examined endocarditis hospitalizations, bacteriology, co-morbidities, outcomes and costs. Hospital admissions for endocarditis rose from 25,511 in 1998 to 38, 976 in 2009 (12.7 per 100,000 population in 2009). The age-adjusted endocarditis admission rate increased 2.4% annually. The proportion of patients …

Acute Aortic Valve Rupture From Infective Endocarditis After Transrectal Prostate Biopsy: A Call To Revise The Aha Guidelines For Prevention Of Infective Endocarditis, Julia Ansari, Gurkaran Singh Garcha, Henry Huang, Faisal G. Bakaeen, Salim S. Virani, Hani Jneid

Office of the Provost

We describe the case of a 63-year-old man with a known murmur who presented with a 4-month history of intermittent fever and a progressive reduction in energy level after a transrectal prostate biopsy (TRPB). He subsequently presented with acute heart failure secondary to aortic valve cusp rupture caused by endocarditis and underwent urgent aortic valve surgery. The 2008 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Guideline update on infective endocarditis has narrowed the use of antibiotic prophylaxis before most accepted dental procedures and continues to recommend against prophylaxis before genitourinary or gastrointestinal procedures. In contrast, the American Urological Association recommends the …

16-Year Trends In The Infection Burden For Pacemakers And Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillators In The United States 1993 To 2008., Arnold J Greenspon, Jasmine D Patel, Edmund Lau, Jorge A Ochoa, Daniel R Frisch, Reginald T Ho, Behzad B Pavri, Steven M Kurtz

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

OBJECTIVES: We analyzed the infection burden associated with the implantation of cardiac implantable electrophysiological devices (CIEDs) in the United States for the years 1993 to 2008.

BACKGROUND: Recent data suggest that the rate of infection following CIED implantation may be increasing.

METHODS: The Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) discharge records were queried between 1993 and 2008 using the 9th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-9-CM). CIED infection was defined as either: 1) ICD-9 code for device-related infection (996.61) and any CIED procedure or removal code; or 2) CIED procedure code along with systemic infection. Patient health profile was evaluated …

Management Of Acute Regurgitation In Left-Sided Cardiac Valves, Nahush A Mokadam, Karen K Stout, Edward D Verrier

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

The management of acute, severe cardiac valvular regurgitation requires expeditious multidisciplinary care. Although acute, severe valvular regurgitation can be a true surgical emergency, accurate diagnosis and subsequent treatment decisions require clinical acumen, appropriate imaging, and sound judgment. An accurate and timely diagnosis is essential for successful outcomes and requires appropriate expertise and a sufficiently high degree of suspicion in a variety of settings. Whereas cardiovascular collapse is the most obvious and common presentation of acute cardiac valvular regurgitation, findings may be subtle, and the clinical presentation can often be nonspecific. Consequently, other acute conditions such as sepsis, pneumonia, or nonvalvular …

Lead-Associated Endocarditis: The Important Role Of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus., Arnold J. Greenspon, Eugene S. Rhim, George Mark, Joseph Desimone, Reginald T. Ho

Division of Cardiology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Infection is a potentially life-threatening complication of cardiac device implantation. Lead-associated endocarditis (LAE) may be the most serious complication since it is associated with a high mortality. METHODS: The medical records of patients referred to our institution for the treatment of LAE between 1999 and 2007 were reviewed. RESULTS: A total of 51 of 107 patients referred for device-related infections met the criteria for LAE. Of these, 19 occurred within 6 months of their most recent procedure (early), while the remaining 32 occurred more than 6 months later (mean = 31.9 months post procedure). Devices included pacemakers in 33 …