Enterococcal Endocarditis: Prospective Data from the Iranian Registry of Infective Endocarditis

METHODS: Since 2006, all adult patients with a possible or definite diagnosis of IE based on the modified Duke criteria have been enrolled in the Iranian Registry of Infective Endocarditis. Keywords: Endocarditis, Enterococcus, Staphylococcus aureus Introduction Enterococci are the second (after staphylococci) most common cause of healthcare-associated endocarditis and the third (after staphylococci and streptococci) most frequent cause of community-acquired endocarditis.1"3 Enterococci are gram-positive facultatively anaerobic bacteria that are normal commensals of the gastrointestinal tract. A bactericidal regimen should be used for the treatment of enterococcal endocarditis and other endovascular infections. Because of the intrinsic resistance of enterococci to many antibiotics, the mortality rate is high. 4 In the present study, we aimed to determine demographic data, predisposing factors, clinical presentations, complications and echocardiographic findings concerning enterococcal endocarditis. All patient's demographic characteristics; history of previous IE and treatment; history of cardiac and non-cardiac disease; signs and symptoms; sites of infection; native or prosthetic cardiac valve; echocardiographic parameters; laboratory findings; surgical treatments; antibiotic therapies; cardiac and extra cardiac complications including embolic events, increasing vegetation size or new abscesses, heart failure, acute renal failure, mycotic aneurysms, septic shock, and persistent fever (>7 d), prosthetic valve dysfunction were recorded.