Infective Endocarditis: A Literature Review

Background: is a member of the HACEK group, which causes infective endocarditis (IE) but is rarely associated with other infections. It is difficult to biologically identify because of its slow growth in culture. However, the clinical features of IE remain unclear.

Method: We searched the PubMed database for all articles of IE published between January 2000 and July 2022.

Results: The major clinical features of 44 previously reported cases of IE were as follows: the median age was 59 years, of which 36 were men; the initial presenting symptoms were chest discomfort (30 %), followed by fever (27 %), night sweats (20 %), fatigability (18 %), weight loss (16 %), and dyspnea (16 %). Almost half of the patients were febrile upon admission. The major predisposing factors were postsurgical valve treatment (57 %), dental treatment or caries (20 %), and congenital valve abnormality (5 %). The median time to identify in the blood culture was 4 days, but the longest time was 42 days. The most commonly infected valve was the aortic valve, and the most common complication was systemic embolism. Surgical treatment was performed in 23 (52 %) patients. The most frequent initial treatment regimen was cephem antibiotics, with a median treatment duration of 6 weeks. The overall mortality and recovery rates of IE were 9 % and 91 %, respectively.

Conclusion: If infection is confirmed, physicians should check for the presence of vegetations of the heart valves and understand these characteristics.