The endocardium is the thin tissue that lines the entire inner surface of the heart and its valves.
Endocarditis is a serious infection of the endocardium caused by germs that have entered the bloodstream and reached the inside of the heart. There, they attach to the heart valves or the endocardium. The inflammation caused by endocarditis can be life-threatening if not treated immediately.
Symptoms
Symptoms may vary depending on the degree of infection.
- The main symptom is fever, continuous or intermittent.
- Shocks and night sweats.
- Feeling exhausted.
- Chest pain.
- Arrhythmias with palpitations or irregular heart rhythm.
- Shortness of breath.
- Rashes or cracking of the skin on the fingers or palms.
- swollen lymph nodes.
What causes endocarditis
Endocarditis is usually caused by germs (bacteria) that enter the blood and is easier to establish if there is a weak or weakened immune system (HIV, cancer). It is usually caused after:
- Dental procedures or serious oral hygiene problems.
- Infections from medical procedures such as operations or placement of intravenous catheters.
- Orthopedic infections, urinary tract infections, respiratory infections.
- Infection from intravenous drug use.
- Chronic heart diseases (rheumatic heart disease, valvular heart disease)
- Placement of artificial heart valves, pacemaker, defibrillator.
Diagnosis of endocarditis
The presence of the above symptoms in combination with the possible causes that may have caused endocarditis, should motivate the patient to immediately visit the Cardiologist. The patient should be aware that endocarditis that is not treated in time can cause serious complications such as:
- destruction of the valves (valvulopathy) of the heart.
- blood clots that can obstruct the blood circulation in a valve and cause organ damage or stroke.
- heart failure.
- cardiogenic shock.
The Cardiologist will check for the presence of endocarditis with a combination of clinical and laboratory tests, such as:
Medical History and electrocardiogram to check for any abnormalities in the functioning of the heart. He will prescribe blood tests to detect infection through increased inflammation markers and blood culture to identify the responsible microbe that caused the infection. This is followed by an ultrasound (triplex) with a very modern and highly diagnostic machine, in the doctor’s office, to determine if there has been damage to the valves. Only if necessary, does he request additional imaging tests.
Treatment
The treatment of endocarditis includes intravenous administration of an antibiotic – depending on the microorganism that caused the infection – for several weeks.
If there has been damage to the valves, treatment of the stenosis or insufficiency may be required by replacing the valve or even cardiac surgery to remove the bacterial deposits.
