Infective endocarditis: a five-year experience at a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan

Objectives: Infective endocarditis is common and data regarding its pattern and outcome from developing countries is sparse. We therefore examined the spectrum, demographics and clinical features of infective endocarditis and sought to determine the factors affecting its clinical outcome.Patients and methods: Over a five-year period at our university hospital in Karachi, Pakistan, we identified 66 patients with infective endocarditis and compared their clinicoepidemiologic features and outcomes to subjects in the West.Results: The male:female ratio was 2:1; overall median age was 24 years (35.5 years for men and 13.5 years for women) (p