UNASSIGNED: To summarize the experience of surgical treatment and perioperative management of a case of infective endocarditis with aortic valve damage in a child with congenital heart disease.
UNASSIGNED: We retrospectively analyzed the treatment of a pediatric patient with infective endocarditis combined with aortic valve damage, who was admitted to the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery of our hospital in Yinchuan in March 2024. We summarize the case data and present a literature review.
UNASSIGNED: The child recovered well after surgery, with echocardiographic re-examination, mild regurgitation of the aortic valve, and no recurrence of endocarditis. She recovered and was discharged from hospital.
UNASSIGNED: The surgical treatment of infective endocarditis in children has achieved satisfactory results, and the timing of and indications for surgery are very important to achieve the therapeutic effect.

Infective endocarditis (IE) is a rare but severe disease due to frequent and serious complications. Healthcare-associated cases often involve Staphylococcus aureus, while Gram-negative bacteria such as Klebsiella pneumoniae, though rare, pose severe challenges due to their resistance profiles. We report a case of a 68-year-old woman with a history of hypertension and mitral valve replacement 12 years ago, who was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) for management of non-traumatic, afebrile altered mental status due to intracerebral hemorrhage from anticoagulant overdose. His stay in the ICU revealed septic shock with multi-organ failure caused by carbapenemase (New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM))-producing K. pneumoniae complicated by IE on the prosthetic mitral valve. Despite treatment with meropenem, colistin, and tigecycline, the patient succumbed to septic shock after 15 days of therapy. This case highlights the importance of close surveillance of nosocomial infections and the need for prompt management strategies integrating medical and surgical approaches to reduce the high mortality associated with such infections.

Infective endocarditis (IE) is a life-threating entity with three main complications: heart failure (HF), uncontrolled infection (UI) and embolic events (EEs). HF and UI are the main indications of cardiac surgery and have been studied thoroughly. On the other hand, much more uncertainty surrounds EEs, which have an abrupt and somewhat unpredictable behaviour. EEs in the setting of IE have unique characteristics that must be explored, such as the potential of hemorrhagic transformation of stroke. Accurately predicting which patients will suffer EEs seems to be pivotal to achieve an optimal management of the disease, but this complex process is still not completely understood. The indication of cardiac surgery in order to prevent EEs in the absence of HF or UI is in question as scientific evidence is controversial and mainly of a retrospective nature. This revision addresses these topics and try to summarize the evidence and recommendations about them.

Native valve infective endocarditis (NVE) is a global phenomenon, defined by infection of a native heart valve and involving the endocardial surface. The causes and epidemiology of the disease have evolved in recent decades, with a doubling of the average patient age. A higher incidence was observed in patients with implanted cardiac devices that can result in right-sided infection of the tricuspid valve. The microbiology of the disease has also changed. Previously, staphylococci, which are most often associated with health-care contact and invasive procedures, were the most common cause of the disease. This has now been superseded by streptococci. While innovative diagnostic and therapeutic strategies have emerged, mortality rates have not improved and remain at 30%, which is higher than that for many cancer diagnoses. The lack of randomized trials and logistical constraints impede clinical management, and long-standing controversies such as the use of antibiotic prophylaxis persist. This state of the art review addresses clinical practice, controversies, and strategies to combat this potentially devastating disease. A multidisciplinary team will be established to provide care for patients with presumptive NVE. The composition of the team will include specialists in cardiology, cardiovascular surgery, and infectious disease. The prompt administration of combination antimicrobial therapy is essential for effective NVE treatment. Additionally, a meticulous evaluation of each patient is necessary in order to identify any indications for immediate valve surgery. With the intention of promoting a more comprehensive understanding of the procedural management of native infective endocarditis and to furnish clinicians with a reference, the current evidence for the utilization of distinct strategies for the diagnosis and treatment of NVE are presented.

Corynebacterium jeikeium, a pleomorphic Gram-positive bacillus, is a common component of the cutaneous microbiota, usually considered as a contaminant, with little pathogenic potential. However, its role in various types of infections, such as bacteremia, sepsis, endocarditis (IE) and infection of prosthetic material is gradually being proven. Few cases of IE due to Corynebacterium jeikeium have been described in the literature. The aim of this article was to describe four cases of IE due to Corynebacterium jeikeium diagnosed in our hospital between May 2021 and April 2022, as well as to conduct a narrative review of the literature on this entity. After analysis, we highlight that 65.6% were men, 81.3% were valve or intravascular device carriers, and IE cases presented early, before one year after surgery. The most affected valve was the aortic valve (68.8%), followed by the mitral valve (21.1%). Valve replacement was performed in 65.6% of cases, and the most commonly used antibiotic was vancomycin (68.8%) at a dose of 15 mg/kg/12 h. With respect to prognosis, the overall mortality rate was 21.9%. The comparative results between our series and the literature review were similar except for a higher mortality rate (50%) and the use of dalbavancin in the treatment. We go on to review previously reported cases, along with four cases described in our hospital, of C. jeikeium endocarditis and will discuss various aspects of C. jeikeium infection, focusing on microbiology, pathophysiology, and treatment.

Infective endocarditis (IE) is a disease that may cause significant morbidity and mortality. IE is classically caused by Gram-positive microorganisms; however, Gram-negative bacteria may seldom also be the cause. Campylobacter species cause zoonosis and may also infect humans, mainly causing gastrointestinal infection by C. jejuni or invasive disease by C. fetus, such as bacteremia, sepsis, meningitis, or vascular infection. Campylobacter species IE has rarely been described, and most reports are cases and/or case series. Thus, the characteristics of this disease, including its epidemiology, clinical presentation, treatment, and outcome, remain largely unknown. This study aimed to review all published Campylobacter IE cases and describe their characteristics. A thorough search of PubMed, the Cochrane Library, and Scopus for published studies providing information on epidemiology, clinical findings, treatment, and outcome of Campylobacter IE cases was performed for the present narrative review. A total of 22 studies containing data from 26 patients were located and included. Among all patients, 73.1% were male; the median age was 65 years. Among all patients, 36.4% had a history of a prosthetic valve. The most commonly affected valve was the aortic, followed by the mitral. Fever, heart failure, and sepsis were the most frequent clinical findings. The most commonly isolated pathogen was C. fetus, with only one patient having C. jejuni IE. Antimicrobial resistance was low for all antimicrobials, with tetracycline having the highest resistance. Aminoglycosides and beta-lactams were the most commonly used antimicrobials. Surgery was performed in 48% of patients. The mortality rate was 26.9%. Patients who died were more likely to have sepsis, shock, and heart failure and were less likely to have been treated with aminopenicillins; however, no factor was identified in a multivariate logistic regression model as an independent factor for overall mortality.

UNASSIGNED: Infective endocarditis caused by Streptococcus sinensis is exceedingly rare, with only limited cases reported. Here, we present the first documented case of prosthetic valve endocarditis attributed to Streptococcus sinensis.
UNASSIGNED: A 40-year-old Chinese female was admitted with a 45-day history of intermittent fever. The presumed diagnosis was a pulmonary infection and antibiotic therapies failed to alleviate her symptoms. On admission, infective endocarditis was suspected, considering the history of aortic valve replacement and recent dental procedure without prophylactic antibiotics. Transesophageal echocardiography disclosed a 3-millimeter vegetation in the prosthetic aortic valve, and metagenomic next-generation sequencing and mass spectrometry identified Streptococcus sinensis. The patient was diagnosed with infective endocarditis. Antibiotic treatments resulted in temporary clinical improvements, although fluctuations in temperature and inflammatory markers led to multiple attempts at antibiotic therapies. At last, the patient underwent an elective aortic valve replacement with a favorable prognosis.
UNASSIGNED: In this case, we demonstrated prosthetic valve endocarditis caused by Streptococcus sinensis, which is an extremely rare pathogen. All reported endocarditis cases caused by Streptococcus sinensis were reviewed and summarized. Most of these patients had rheumatic heart diseases or congenital heart diseases. Antibiotic prophylaxis is important for high-risk procedures. Timely identification of the bacterium is crucial for diagnosis and treatment. Overall, infective endocarditis caused by this bacterium had a good prognosis.

BACKGROUND: Current guidelines recommend adjunctive gentamicin for the treatment of Enterococcus faecalis infective endocarditis (EFIE) despite a risk of toxicity. We sought to revisit the evidence for adjunctive therapy in EFIE and to synthesize the comparative safety and effectiveness of adjunctive use of the aminoglycosides versus ceftriaxone by systematic review and meta-analysis.
METHODS: For historical context, we reviewed the seminal case series and in vitro studies informing the evolution from penicillin monotherapy to modern-day regimens for EFIE. Next, we searched MEDLINE and Embase from inception to January 16, 2024 for studies of EFIE comparing 1) adjunctive aminoglycosides versus ceftriaxone or 2) adjunctive therapy versus monotherapy. Where possible, clinical outcomes were compared between regimens by random-effects meta-analysis. Otherwise, data were narratively summarized.
RESULTS: Results for the systematic review and meta-analysis were limited to 10 observational studies totaling 911 patients. All studies were at high risk of bias. Relative to adjunctive ceftriaxone, gentamicin had similar all-cause mortality (Risk Difference [RD]=-0.8%, 95% Confidence interval [95%CI]=-5.0, 3.5), relapse (RD=-0.1%, 95%CI=-2.4, 2.3), and treatment failure (RD=1.1%, 95%CI=-1.6, 3.7), but higher discontinuation due to toxicity (RD=26.3%, 95%CI=19.8, 32.7). The 3 studies comparing adjunctive therapy to monotherapy included only 30 monotherapy patients and heterogeneity precluded meta-analysis.
CONCLUSIONS: Adjunctive therapy with ceftriaxone appeared to be equally effective and less toxic than gentamicin for the treatment of EFIE. The existing evidence does not clearly establish the superiority of either adjunctive therapy or monotherapy. Pending randomized evidence, if adjunctive therapy is to be used, ceftriaxone appears to be a reasonable option.

BACKGROUND: Infective endocarditis(IE) has a low incidence, but it remains a serious disease with high mortality rates. Only 5 % of these patients will develop a splenic abscess, and the number of patients that have IE and a splenic abscess requiring surgery is low. The current guidelines recommend that splenectomy should be performed prior to valve replacement, but there is no strong evidence to support this statement and no evidence to clearly endorse the order in which the surgical interventions should be performed. The objective of this review and case series is to establish the proper treatment strategy, to assess the adequate order of the surgical interventions and to clarify the role of percutaneous drainage in the management of these patients.
METHODS: All patients with infective endocarditis and splenic abscess who underwent surgery in our institution, between January 2008 and December 2020 were included in this study, excluding patients which had cardiac device related endocarditis. Literature review on the matter included a number of 30 studies which were selected from the PubMed database.
RESULTS: Assessing the literature and case series no reinfection was reported for simultaneously performing splenectomy(S) and valvular surgery(VS) nor for VS followed by S.
CONCLUSIONS: Percutaneous drainage of the splenic abscesses is a feasible solution as definitive therapy in high-risk patients or as bridge therapy. Additional studies are needed, even though they are difficult to conduct, therefore a national/international infectious endocarditis register may be of use to clarify these challenges.

UNASSIGNED: Salmonella typhi, a gram-negative bacterium responsible for typhoid fever, can infect the inner lining or valves of the heart and cause endocarditis. This systematic review aimed to report cases of S. typhi-associated endocarditis and its clinical features.
UNASSIGNED: This systematic review was reported as per the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) checklist. Only case reports and case series of endocarditis caused by S. typhi, irrespective of age, gender, and demographics, were considered eligible for inclusion. To identify relevant studies, a literature search was conducted using relevant keywords on PubMed, Google Scholar, and the Cochrane Library from inception to 31 December 2023. After selecting the studies, the relevant data were extracted and pooled in terms of frequencies and percentages. A quality assessment was performed using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist for Case Reports.
UNASSIGNED: This review included seven case reports, comprising 22.2% female and 77.8% male patients. The mean age of patients was 27.9 + 12.0 years. Regarding past medical history, 33.3% (3/9) of patients had a previous cardiac pathology. Fever remained the most common complaint, occurring in 88.9% of cases. Transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography were used to diagnose all cases, with 33.3% identifying vegetation on the mitral, aortic, and tricuspid valves. Ceftriaxone, with or without gentamycin, remained the choice of antibiotic for 88.9% of cases, and all patients responded to the offered treatment.
UNASSIGNED: S. typhi-associated endocarditis, though rare, presents unique challenges and requires timely diagnosis. This systematic review of seven cases highlights a predominantly male population affected, with a mean age in the third decade, suggesting a higher invasiveness than other causes. The findings from this study underscore the importance of early recognition and appropriate management, primarily with antibiotic therapy. Further research with larger cohorts is crucial to refine understanding and guide policymaking for this rare but life-threatening condition.