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Infective endocarditis in newborn infants with structurally normal hearts
Author(s) -
Mecrow IK,
Ladusans EJ
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
acta pædiatrica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1651-2227
pISSN - 0803-5253
DOI - 10.1111/j.1651-2227.1994.tb12949.x
Subject(s) - medicine , intracardiac injection , infective endocarditis , endocarditis , blood culture , right heart , candida albicans , tricuspid valve , cardiology , percutaneous , right atrium , coagulase , surgery , antibiotics , staphylococcus aureus , staphylococcus , microbiology and biotechnology , genetics , bacteria , biology
Mecrow IK, Ladusans EJ. Infective endocarditis in newborn infants with structurally normal hearts. Acta Pædiatr 1994;83:35–9. Stockholm. ISSN 0803–5253. Twelve infants with structurally normal hearts were demonstrated to have intracardiac vegetations on echocardiography and diagnosed as having infective endocarditis. All were found in the right side of the heart, most frequently at the junction of the superior vena cava and the right atrium and in no case involved the tricuspid or pulmonary valves. Most were diagnosed in the course of investigation of repeatedly positive blood cultures, despite appropriate antibiotic therapy. Coagulase‐negative staphylococci were isolated from blood culture in nine infants, and Streptococcus sanguis and Candida albicans from one each. All infants had had intracardiac central lines inserted to facilitate venous access, either by a percutaneous technique or as a formal surgical procedure. Eight (67%) were successfully treated and made a full recovery. Cardiac murmurs were absent in all of the cases. Echocardiography should be included in the investigation of all neonates with persistently positive blood culture, particularly when intracardiac lines have been sited. Right‐sided, non‐valvar lesions and infection with coagulase‐negative staphylococci may carry a better prognosis than previously reported.