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Query: UMLS:C0014118 (endocarditis)
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Three cases of spondylodiscitis caused by viridans streptococci were observed within the course of 1 month. Although streptococci have been reported as the third most frequent cause of spondylodiscitis after staphylococci and gram-negative bacteria, alpha-haemolytic streptococci are rarely seen. The three patients presented with symptoms of low back pain; they felt well and did not have a fever or chills. Laboratory examinations revealed inflammation. Further examinations such as scintigraphy, computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging were done. Bacteriological diagnosis was established by blood cultures in two cases and by needle biopsy of the disco-vertebral space in one. In one patient endocarditis was also documented. Because the prevalence of endocarditis was found to be higher in our cases of spondylodiscitis due to Streptococcus viridans than for other bacteria, the exclusion of this diagnosis must be pursued aggressively. These observations lead us to question if the spectrum of bacteria causing spondylodiscitis is undergoing a change. an aetiological agent could be isolated in 1168 patients (85.4%): in 48% a staphylococcus, in 28% a gram-negative bacterium and in only 10% a streptococcus. There were two cases of viridans streptococci (0.2%). These two cases together with other single case reports [14-22] account for 15 cases of spondylodiscitis due to alpha-haemolytic streptococci. Differentiation of the organisms to the species level was accomplished in six cases: S. mitis (3), S. sanguis (2) and S. anginosus (1). Although a multitude of organisms, bacterial as well as fungal, causing spondylodiscitis has been reported in recent years, almost all were single cases [23-42]. The unusual observation of three cases of spondylodiscitis due to alpha-haemolytic streptococci within 1 month prompted us to review the clinical and laboratory findings and to compare these cases with those caused by Staphylococcus aureus.
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PMID:Spondylodiscitis caused by viridans streptococci: three cases and a review of the literature. 1052 59

Bacteremia due to Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae is rare; the most common presentation reported in the literature is endocarditis. We report a 32-year-old man with oropharyngeal cancer who developed aspiration pneumonia and E. rhusiopathiae bacteremia, and presented with fever, chills, dyspnea, and productive cough with purulent sputum. Despite treatment with amoxicillin/clavulanate and nutritional support for 9 days, he died of respiratory failure. He had no clinical evidence of endocarditis. He had no history of animal or occupational exposure, and might have been colonized with E. rhusiopathiae in the oral cavity, followed by aspiration pneumonia and bacteremia. A fatal outcome in a patient with bacteremia due to E. rhusiopathiae without endocarditis is rare.
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PMID:Fatal outcome of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae bacteremia in a patient with oropharyngeal cancer. 1087 Mar 36

Cigarette smoking, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and periodontal disease have been established as major risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Dentists and physicians should work aggressively to educate periodontitis patients about this relationship in an effort to improve the quality of health and contribute to their long-term survival. Blood pressure should be checked at the initial dental visit and at each subsequent visit in patients whose blood pressure is found to be high and/or has a history of hypertension. Dental and medical assistants should receive in-service training to assure competency in measuring blood pressures. All staff should be certified in basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Emergency protocol procedures should be in writing and rehearsed regularly. Patients should take their blood pressure medication as usual on the day of the dental procedure. It is helpful for the patients to bring all medications to the office for review at the time of the dental procedure. Good communication should be established between the dentist and physician to maximize good dental and physical health. Because the patient with periodontal disease is at an increased risk for cardiovascular disease, a standardized form should be developed for the convenient exchange of vital information, including but not limited to: blood pressure, medications, allergies, medical conditions and pertinent highlights of dental procedures. Minimize stress in patients with coronary artery disease. This includes providing solid local anesthesia, avoidance of intravascular medication injections, and encouraging relaxation techniques. Antibiotic prophylaxis is indicated in patients with valvular heart disease but does not guarantee the prevention of endocarditis. These patients should be alerted to monitor any symptoms such as fever, chills or shortness of breath. It has also been documented that toothbrushing, flossing and home plaque removers can cause transient bacteremia in periodontal patients. Epinephrine use should be avoided or utilized cautiously in patients with pacemakers or automatic defibrillator devices because of the possibility of refractory arrhythmia. Consultation with patient's cardiologist is advised. Anticoagulation with coumadin is not a contraindication to dental procedures. The prothrombin time or international normalized ratio laboratory values should be checked on the day of the procedure to assure that it is in an acceptable range. Aspirin therapy is not a problem unless the patient is on very high doses for severe arthritis. Continuing medical and dental education credits should emphasize cross-training in both areas to insure comprehensive treatment of the patient with periodontal disease. Smoking cessation, regular exercise, a low-fat diet and good dental hygiene contribute to a healthy cardiovascular system. Patients should understand as best we know the relationship between periodontal and cardiovascular disease to afford them an opportunity to improve their overall dental and physical health.
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PMID:Medical management of the patient with cardiovascular disease. 1127 61

Infection with Lactobacillus is rare, and only a handful of species have been identified as being clinically significant: Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, and Lactobacillus leichmannii. The literature contains one case report of bacteremia caused by Weissella confusa (basonym: Lactobacillus confusus), but the clinical significance of the infection was unclear. We describe a case of W. confusa bacteremia in a 46-year-old man with a history of abdominal aortic dissection and repair. This procedure was complicated by gut ischemia, which necessitated massive small bowel resection. He subsequently developed short-bowel syndrome, which required him to have total parenteral nutrition. He later developed an Enterococcus faecalis aortic valve endocarditis that required a coronary artery bypass graft and aortic root replacement with homograft and 6 weeks of intravenous ampicillin and gentamicin. Three months prior to his most recent admission, he was diagnosed with Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteremia and candidemia. At the present admission, he had fever (T(max), 39.5 degrees C) and chills of 2 days' duration and was admitted to the intensive care unit because of hemodynamic instability. Blood cultures grew K. pneumoniae and W. confusa in four of four blood culture bottles (both aerobe and anaerobe bottles). Imaging studies failed to find any foci of infection. A transesophageal echocardiogram revealed no vegetations. A culture of the patient's Hickman catheter tip was negative. The patient was treated with piperacillin-tazobactam and gentamicin. His condition improved, and he was discharged home, where he completed 4 weeks of piperacillin-tazobactam therapy. Lactobacillemia seldom results in mortality; however, it may be a marker of a serious underlying disease. It is usually seen in patients who have a complex medical history or in patients who receive multiple antibiotics. Lactobacillus spp. are generally associated with polymicrobial infections, and when isolated from the blood, they need to be considered possible pathogens. The presence of a vancomycin-resistant, gram-positive coccobacilli on a blood culture should alert clinicians to the possibility of bacteremia caused by W. confusa or other small gram-positive rods.
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PMID:Weissella confusa (basonym: Lactobacillus confusus) bacteremia: a case report. 1128 96

We report an analysis of clinical course of 18 patients presenting with Staphylococcus aureus sepsis. Community acquired infection was caused by Methicillin susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) in 11 patients. MSSA in 3 and Methicillin Resistant S. aureus strains (MRSA) in 4 patients, were the etiologic factor in 7 patients with nosocomial infection. From anamnestic data patients presented with: elevated body temperature--18/18, arthralgia and myalgia--9/18, headache--8/18, nausea--6/18, chills--2/18. Physical examination on admission revealed: meningismus--12/18, hepatomegaly--11/18, purulent and haemorrhagic skin lesions--7/18 and impaired neurological status (Glasgow Coma Scale < or = 12)--6/18. The mean APACHE III score, calculated from data collected at diagnosis of sepsis was 47 (7-114). Several complications had been observed: endocarditis--10, purulent meningitis--5, focal CNS lesions--5, pneumonia--8, pulmonary abscess--3, hydrothorax--1, abscesses of the spleen--5, renum--4, osteomyelitis--2. 11/18 patients required ICU treatment. Ventilator assistance of respiration was necessary in 7/18. Acute thrombocytopenia (< 100,000/ml) was diagnosed in 60%. In 5 patients suppurative meningitis had been diagnosed with a mean pleocytosis-837 (173-1898) microL. The results of treatment were satisfactory in 11 patients, 3 patients required further surgical treatment (2--cardiosurgery, 1--orthopedic surgery), 4 patients died. Infection caused by community acquired MSSA strains had been characterized by severe clinical course with increased incidence of endocarditis, organ failure and abscess forming. We conclude that Staphylococcus aureus sepsis is still a life-threatening disease, which should be treated at centers with immediate access to imaging techniques of CNS and circulatory system as well as intensive care and cardiosurgery. Community acquired S. aureus sepsis compared with nosocomial infection is characterized by more severe clinical course and higher mortality, despite of a great susceptibility to most antibiotics of causative S. aureus strains.
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PMID:[Staphylococcus aureus sepsis--still life threatening disease]. 1177 Mar 18

Piercing invades subcutaneous areas and has a high potential for infectious complications. The number of case reports of endocarditis associated with piercing is increasing. We studied a 25-year-old man with a pierced tongue, who arrived at Memorial Health University Medical Center with fever, chills, rigors, and shortness of breath of 6 days' duration and had an aortic valvuloplasty for correction of congenital aortic stenosis.
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PMID:Haemophilus aphrophilus endocarditis after tongue piercing. 1214 72

Systemic infection due to Granulicatella (formerly Abiotrophia), a species of nutrition-deficient gram-positive cocci, is rare. We present the case of a 68-year-old diabetic male who presented with back pain and a history of fever and chills. Imaging studies revealed vertebral osteomyelitis of the Th 10/11 region. Transesophageal echocardiography disclosed a vegetation adjacent to the pacemaker lead and blood cultures grew Granulicatella adiacens. A diagnosis of vertebral osteomyelitis and endocarditis due to G. adiacens was made and the patient improved with bed rest and medical treatment alone. Granulicatella ssp. should always be part of the differential diagnosis of fastidious bacteria in vertebral osteomyelitis and endocarditis.
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PMID:Vertebral osteomyelitis and endocarditis of a pacemaker lead due to Granulicatella (Abiotrophia) adiacens. 1238 95

Brucellosis is a common zoonotic disease transmittable to humans from infected animal reservoirs. Malta, Rock, Gibraltar, Cyprus or Mediterranean fever, Bang's disease, intermittent typhoid or typho-malarial fever, undulant fever, etc. are just various synonyms for brucellosis. Patients suffering from this disease show unspecific symptoms, e.g. fever, chills, malaise, arthralgia, headache, tiredness and weakness. Human brucellosis may be caused by four of totally six genetically and phenotypically closely related Brucella species, i.e. B. melitensis, B. abortus, B. suis and B. canis. Although many organ systems may be involved, brucellosis is rarely fatal. Therapeutic failure and relapses, chronic courses and severe complications like bone and joint involvement, neurobrucellosis and endocarditis are characteristic for the disease. A definite diagnosis requires the isolation of Brucellae from blood, bone marrow or other tissues. However, cultural examinations are time-consuming, hazardous and not sensitive. Thus, clinicians often rely on the indirect proof of infection. The detection of high or rising titers of specific antibodies in the serum allows a tentative diagnosis. A variety of serological tests has been applied, but at least two serological tests have to be combined to avoid false negative results. Usually, the serum agglutination test is used for a first screening and complement fixation or Coombs' test will confirm its results. As Brucella ELISAs are more sensitive and specific than other serological tests, they may replace them step by step. This review will summarize advantages and disadvantages of the serological techniques used in clinical laboratories for indirect verification of human brucellosis.
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PMID:Laboratory-based diagnosis of brucellosis--a review of the literature. Part II: serological tests for brucellosis. 1465 29

A 68-year old man with fever chills and a diastolic murmur was diagnosed with aortic-valve endocarditis caused by coagulase-negative Staphylococcus lugdunensis. The clinical condition initially improved with antibiotic therapy. On day seven, transoesophageal echocardiography revealed large abscesses extending from the aortic root to the left ventricular wall. Emergency cardiac surgery was performed successfully and a stentless bioprosthetic valve was inserted. S. lugdunensis endocarditis is known for its aggressive clinical course with valve destruction, abscess formation and embolic complications despite appropriate antibiotics. Antibiotic treatment alone is associated with a high mortality rate which can be reduced by early valve replacement.
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PMID:Progressive Staphylococcus lugdunensis endocarditis despite antibiotic treatment. 1500 19

We report the case of a 35-yr-old patient who presented with high fever and chills. He had undergone a patch closure of the ventricular septal defect 18 yr before. One year later, a VVI pacemaker was implanted via the right subclavian vein because of complete heart block. Nine years after that, a new VVI pacemaker with another right ventricular electrode was inserted controlaterally and the old pacing lead was abandoned. Trans-thoracic and trans-esophageal echocardiogram identified the pacemaker lead in the right ventricle (RV) attaching hyperechoic materials and also a fluttering round hyperechoic mass with a stalk in the RV outflow tract. Cultures in blood and pus from pacemaker lead grew Achromobacter xylosoxidans. A diagnosis of pacemaker lead endocarditis due to Achromobacter xylosoxidans was made. In this regards, the best treatment is an immediate removal of the entire pacing system and antimicrobial therapy.
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PMID:Pacemaker lead endocarditis caused by Achromobacter xylosoxidans. 1508 6


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