PCCN Endocarditis

PCCN Endocarditis

Endocarditis is an infection of the endocardium, which is the inner lining of your heart chambers and heart valves.

Endocarditis generally occurs when bacteria, fungi or other germs from another part of your body, such as your mouth, spread through your bloodstream and attach to damaged areas in your heart. If it’s not treated quickly, endocarditis can damage or destroy your heart valves and can lead to life-threatening complications. Treatments for endocarditis include antibiotics and, in certain cases, surgery.

Since there are many ways to develop endocarditis, your doctor might not be able to pinpoint the exact cause of your condition. However, people at greatest risk of endocarditis usually have damaged heart valves, artificial heart valves or other heart defects.

Signs and Symptoms

Endocarditis may develop slowly or suddenly, depending on what germs are causing the infection and whether you have any underlying heart problems. Endocarditis signs and symptoms can vary from person to person.

Common signs and symptoms of endocarditis include:

• Flu-like symptoms, such as fever and chills
• A new or changed heart murmur, which is the heart sounds made by blood rushing through your heart
• Fatigue
• Aching joints and muscles
• Night sweats
• Shortness of breath
• Chest pain when you breathe
• Swelling in your feet, legs or abdomen
• Unexplained weight loss
• Blood in your urine, which you might be able to see or that your doctor might see when he or she views your urine under a microscope
• Tenderness in your spleen, which is an infection-fighting abdominal organ just below your rib cage on the left side of your body
• Osler’s nodes, which are red, tender spots under the skin of your fingers or toes
• Petechiae which are tiny purple or red spots on the skin, whites of your eyes, or inside your mouth

Causes

Endocarditis occurs when germs enter your bloodstream, travel to your heart, and attach to abnormal heart valves or damaged heart tissue. Certain types of bacteria cause most cases, but fungi or other microorganisms also may be responsible.

Usually, your immune system destroys harmful bacteria that make it into your bloodstream. Even if bacteria reach your heart, they may pass through without causing an infection. However, bacteria that live in your mouth, throat or other parts of your body, such as your skin or your gut, can sometimes cause serious infections like endocarditis under the right circumstances.

Risk Factors

If your heart is healthy, you could be less likely to develop endocarditis, although it is still possible. The germs that cause infection tend to stick to and multiply on damaged or surgically implanted heart valves, or on endocardium that has a rough surface.

People at highest risk of endocarditis are those who have:

• Artificial or Congenital Heart Valves
• Damaged Heart Valves
• IV Drug Use

Complications

In endocarditis, clumps of bacteria and cell fragments form in your heart at the site of the infection. These clumps, called vegetations, can break loose and travel to your brain, lungs, abdominal organs, kidneys or limbs. As a result, endocarditis can cause several major complications, including:

• Heart problems, such as heart murmur, heart valve damage and heart failure
• Stroke, Seizure
• Loss of the ability to move part of all of your body (paralysis)
• Pockets of collected pus (abscesses) that develop in the heart, brain, lungs and other organs
• Pulmonary embolism — an infected vegetation that travels to the lungs and blocks a lung artery
• Kidney damage or Enlarged spleen

Treatment

Many cases of endocarditis are successfully treated with antibiotics. Sometimes, surgery may be required to fix damaged heart valves and clean up any remaining signs of the infection.