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Background: Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteremia may result in Infective Endocarditis (IE). In the pre-antibiotic era, it caused 10 %‒15 % of IE, decreasing to < 3 % after penicillin availability. Although infrequent, it causes aggressive disease., Methods: Retrospective analysis of endocarditis databases, prospectively implemented in 4 Brazilian institutions, 2005‒2023., Results: From the prospective cohorts comprising 2321 adult patients with IE, we identified 11 (0.47%) with pneumococcal IE. Males represented 7/11 and mean age was 54 years (22‒77). All had native valve involvement; perivalvular abscess was present in 6/11. Only one patient had concurrent meningitis. Beta-lactams were the antibiotics used in 10/11. All had surgical indication, but only 6 had it, as the others were seriously ill. Overall, in hospital mortality was 6/11, but only 1/6 of those who underwent surgery died, compared to 5/5 of those who had an indication for surgery and did not have it., Conclusions: The high mortality rates and need for surgical intervention emphasize the need to promptly identify and manage pneumococcal endocarditis. Physicians ought to recommend vaccination to all patients at risk for severe pneumococcal disease., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Sociedade Brasileira de Infectologia. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

This study evaluated the prevalence and risk factors for endocarditis in patients undergoing hemodialysis with central venous catheter (CVC) and to identify the microorganisms isolated from the bloodstream. This cohort study followed 94 patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD) who developed bacteremia after the insertion of a CVC for dialysis in the hospital São Paulo, UNIFESP, Brazil. They were divided into two groups: patients with endocarditis (E+) and patients without (E-). The prevalence of endocarditis was 29%. Among risk factors, the time of hospitalization and residence of the catheter were significantly higher (p < 0.001) in group E+. The mortality rate was 15%, and lethality of endocarditis was 55%. Of the 38 microorganisms isolated in group E+, 20 were S. aureus and 45% of those were MRSA. Group E+ with MRSA presented 100% mortality. High mortality and lethality in the E+ group was observed, and of the microorganisms isolated, MRSA was the most lethal. This article provides an overview of the findings of this study.

Objective: This study aimed at identifying predictive variables for in-hospital mortality, calculating the probability of death and creating a risk index for death by infective endocarditis by comparing two methods using a Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve., Methods: A retrospective study was conducted of 186 consecutive cases of confirmed infective endocarditis divided into two groups: discharged (137) and in-hospital death (49). Based on the odds ratios obtained by multivariate analysis, the probability of death was calculated and a mortality risk index created., Results: Factors predictive of higher mortality (multivariate analysis) and the risk index, with their respective weights were: age >or= 40 years (OR = 4.16; 95%CI [1.63-10.80] - 4 points), class IV heart failure or cardiovascular shock (OR = 4.93; 95%CI [1.86-13.05] - 5 points), uncontrolled sepsis (OR = 5.97; 95%CI [1.95-18.35] - 6 points), conduction disorder (OR = 5.07; 95%CI [1.67-15.35] - 5 points), arrhythmia (OR = 8.17; 95%CI [2.60-25.71] - 8 points), valve with extensive damage or abscess or prosthesis (OR = 4.77; 95%CI [1.44-15.76] - 5 points) and large and mobile vegetation (OR = 4.36; 95%CI [1.55-12.90] - 4 points). Patients with scores between 0 and 10 had a mortality of 5.26% and scores over 20 of 78.9%., Conclusions: The higher the score, the higher the mortality rate. The mortality risk index may be used to estimate mortality in Infective Endocarditis.

Objective: To assess the major causes of surgical morbidity and mortality in patients with infective endocarditis operated upon in a regional cardiology center., Methods: Thirty-four patients underwent surgical treatment for infective endocarditis. Their ages ranged from 20 to 68 years (mean of 40.6) and 79% were males. Their NYHA functional classes were as follows: IV - 19 (55.8%) patients; III - 12 (35.2%) patients; II - 3 (8.8%) patients. Blood cultures were positive in only 32% of the cases. Eight patients had already undergone previous cardiac surgery, whose major indication (82.3%) was heart failure refractory to clinical treatment., Results: Four (11.7%) patients died at the hospital. Follow-up was complete in 26 (86%) patients. Five (14.7%) patients died later, 12, 36, 48, 60, and 89 months after hospital discharge. Of the 21 patients being currently followed up, 1 is in NYHA functional class III, and 5 in NYHA functional class II., Conclusion: A high degree of clinical suspicion, at an early diagnosis, and indication of surgical treatment prior to deterioration of left ventricular function and installation of generalized sepsis may improve prognosis.

Thirty one infective endocarditis (IE) fatal cases whose diagnosis was first obtained at autopsy were studied. The clinical data of these patients (Group 1) showed significant differences compared to other 141 IE cases (Group 2). The average age of 53 years in Group 1 patients was 18 years higher than that of Group 2. The Group 1 patients had a low frequency of IE predisposing heart disease. Both patient groups presented fever (about 87%), but a significant low frequency of cardiac murmur (25.8%) was observed in Group 1 patients and echocardiography tests were performed in only 16.1%, suggesting that IE diagnosis was not suspected. Likewise, although most Group 1 patients appeared with severe acute illness, they did not present the classic IE clinical presentation. Blood cultures were performed in only 64.5% of the Group 1 patients. However, bacteria were isolated in 70% of these blood cultures and Staphylococcus aureus was isolated in 71.4%. The bacteria attacked mitral and aortic valves. Complications such as embolizations and cardiac failure occurred in almost half of the cases and they also presented with infections of the lungs, urinary tract, and central nervous system. Medical procedures were performed in practically all fatal cases whose diagnosis was first obtained at autopsy. Sepsis occurred in about half of the patients and it was followed by shock in more than 25%. This form of IE must be suspected in mature and in old febrile hospitalized patients having infection predisposing diseases, embolization, and suffering medical procedures.

Purpose: To analyze the clinical, laboratory and pathological aspects of 20 cases of infectious endocarditis (IE) who died. The authors compared patients with diagnosis before death of IE and those with diagnosis was made after autopsy., Methods: Twenty patients who died with IE between April 1982 and November 1991 were studied. We looked for the clinical aspects (fever, cardiac murmurs, anemia, splenomegaly, embolic events and skin manifestation), laboratory aspects (hemocultures), echocardiographic and anatomopathologic features (valvar vegetations events and embolic accidents founded at autopsy). The sample was divided in two sub-groups: A--with clinical diagnosis of IE before and B--without diagnosis before death., Results: Group A--9 patients aged 8-58 years, 3 men, all them with cardiac murmurs, fever and anemia, 5 with splenomegaly. Hemocultures were done in 7 patients and positive in 1. Echocardiogram with valvar vegetation were found in 4 out of 5 patients (80% positive). At autopsy mitral valve vegetation were present in 7, aortic 3, tricuspid 3. One patient showed the exposure of three valves and two of 2 valves. Embolic events were found in 4. Group B--11 patients most of them older then 50 years (54.5%) (p < 0.05) 5 men, all them presented fever and anemia. Cardiac murmurs in 6 (54%) and none with splenomegaly. In one case hemoculture and echocardiogram, were done and were negative. Anatopathologic study showed compromise of mitral valve in 5, aortic 4, tricuspid 2, pulmonary 1. Two patients had 2 valves compromised. In one case a mural vegetation (right atrium) was found. Embolic events were present in 2 cases., Conclusion: In group B a significant number of patients (p < 0.05) were older than 50 years and presented his symptoms as an acute illness. We concluded that older patients with compromised general state and fever with or without embolic events IE must be remember.

Purpose: To characterize the occurrence of bacteremia during delivery and to verify the necessity of prophylaxis against infective endocarditis., Methods: The authors collected hemoculture of 100 women, 15,30 and 45 minutes after delivery. The data were collected from May 1992 until May 1993. The positive hemocultures were followed by antibiogram., Results: Seven hemocultures were positive: six for Staphylococcus, one for Candida sp, Penicilium sp, Clandosporum sp and Aspergillus sp that were found in association. Four patients had prematures amniorrhexis, longer than 6 hours before delivery (p < 0.05). Six patients had labor longer than 6 hours after admission (p < 0.05). The authors did not observe differences related to vaginal delivery with or without forceps or cesarean section. The samples were all sensible to cefalotin at the antibiogram., Conclusion: Labor and delivery is a high risk procedure for bacteremia and so for ineffective endocarditis in susceptible patients. The statistical analysis recognize as risk factors labor longer than 6 hours inside the hospital and premature amniorrhexis. We propose the use of intravenous cefalotin 1g 60 minutes before expulsion and repeated 6 and 12 hours later.

Purpose: To analyse clinical aspects, diagnosis and treatment of infective endocarditis (IE), in order to guide medical procedures and indicate the surgical treatment., Patients and Methods: 83 patients were submitted to clinical treatment of IE between January 1980 and December 1987; clinical aspects, laboratory and pathologic-anatomy findings, the site of infection and the entrance of micro-organism were studied., Results: 37 (44.6%) patients were males. Fever was present in 75 (90.4%) cases, cardiac murmur in 76 (91.5%), splenomegaly in 28 (33.7%) and heart failure (III and IV) in 32 (39.8%) patients. Blood culture was positive in 55.5%; staphylococcus 50% of blood cultures; anemia was present in 66 cases (79.5%) and high serum mucoprotein in 58 (92%); echocardiography was 85.7% positive. The mortality was 39.76%; congestive heart failure was the main cause of death; 78.1% of these ones occurred in the first 15 days of antibiotic-therapy. The mitral valve was the one most impaired and the most frequent entrance of micro-organisms in oropharynx., Conclusion: Congestive heart failure, sepsis and systemic embolisms were the main complications that led the patient to death in course of IE, usually before 15 days of antibiotic-therapy. In these cases, we may hypothesize that prompt surgical treatment could have diminished the mortality of IE.