Formerly known as bacterial endocarditis, this condition is an infection of the heart’s inner lining or the heart valves. This can potentially damage or destroy the heart valves.
What causes it? Infective endocarditis happens when bacteria in the bloodstream get lodged onto abnormal heart valves. This bacteria is commonly found after many invasive procedures. Endocarditis does not usually occur on normal hearts, but rather on people with preexisting heart conditions. Some conditions include:
an artificial (prosthetic) heart valve- a history of previous endocarditis
- heart valves damaged (scarred) by conditions such as rheumatic fever
- various kinds of congenital heart defects
- hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
- people who have had a heart transplant who develop a heart valve abnormality
Treatments for endocarditis include long-term, high-dose antibiotics in order to get rid of the bacteria. Treatment is usually given at the hospital for 4-6 weeks, depending on the specific type of bacteria. It will be up to your physician to choose the best antibiotic treatment for you. In some cases, surgery may be necessary to replace damaged heart valves.
For more information on prevention and possible complications of this condition, please visit the National Institutes of Health website, here.
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