Overall clinical characteristics of 69 cases (10 from the two study institutions and 59 from the literature)
| Clinical characteristics | Native valve (n = 53) | Prosthetic valve (n = 9) | Pacemaker lead* (n = 7) |
|---|---|---|---|
| *Pacemaker (6), implantable cardioverter defibrillator (1); †aortic (7) or mitral (1) prosthesis, rheumatic valve (6), bicuspid aortic valve (3), mitral regurgitation (6), pacemaker (6), ischaemic heart disease (2), pulmonary stenosis (1), implantable defibrillator (1); ‡AIDS (1), congestive heart failure (6), end stage renal disease (3), liver cirrhosis (2), malignancy (2), rheumatoid arthritis (2), diabetes mellitus (1), lymphoma (1), renal transplant (1); §cutaneous infection (14), arteriovenous fistula or graft (5), vasectomy (4), arthritis (2), dental abscess (1), scrotal ulceration (1), coronary angiography (1) or angioplasty (1), percutaneous valvoplasty (1), others (2); ¶p<0.04 versus antibiotic + surgery; **not significant versus antibiotic + surgery. | |||
| Mean age (years) | 55 | 63 | 63 |
| Age <50 years | 36% | 11% | 14% |
| Male sex | 49% | 33% | 14% |
| Published before 1995 | 36% | 77% | 0% |
| Previous heart disease† | 38% | 100% | 100% |
| Co-morbidity‡ | 30% | 22% | 14% |
| Known source of infection§ | 45% | 33% | 71% |
| Injection drug users | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Location | |||
| Mitral valve | 55% | 11% | 0% |
| Aortic valve | 28% | 77% | 0% |
| Tricuspid valve | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Pulmonary valve | 4% | 0% | 0% |
| Pacemaker lead | 0% | 0% | 100% |
| Multivalvar | 13% | 11% | 0% |
| Acute onset (<30 days) | 54% | 11% | 57% |
| Complications | 60% | 77% | 14% |
| Heart failure | 45% | 22% | 0% |
| Periannular abscess | 19% | 66% | 0% |
| Embolisation | 30% | 11% | 14% |
| Vegetation on echocardiogram | 85% | 22% | 100% |
| Surgery | 51% | 55% | 100% |
| Death | 42% | 78% | 14% |
| Antibiotic + surgery | 29% | 80% | 14% |
| Antibiotic alone (no surgery) | 57%¶ | 75%** | 0% |