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CHANGING CONCEPTS IN MANAGEMENT OF INFECTIVE ENDOCARDITIS
Author(s) -
Baron David W.,
Hickie John B.
Publication year - 1977
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1977.tb131111.x
Subject(s) - infective endocarditis , medicine , surgery , emergency surgery , mortality rate , antibiotics , endocarditis , biology , microbiology and biotechnology
Sixty‐four patients were treated for 73 episodes of infective endocarditis over the five‐year period 1970 to 1974 at St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney. There were 13 deaths with a mortality rate of 18$md1% compared with 38% (1950 to 1959). Included were 13 cases of infection on prosthetic valves with three deaths. Fifty‐one per cent of patients were studied by cardiac catheterization. Early or emergency surgery was performed in 28% of cases and late surgery in 16%. The improved results were due to multiple factors, including early diagnosis, prompt investigation in a specialized unit, rational use of appropriate antibiotics, careful management of complications and early surgery.