Prosthetic valve endocarditis: clinical, bacteriological and therapeutic aspects.

Background: The prosthetic valve endocarditis(PVE) is a serious complication of valve replacement surgery. The aim of this work was to analyze the clinical and echocardiography characters of the PVE, deduce surgery indication, and determinate the prognostic factors Methods :We presented a retrospective descriptive study from 2000 to 2014 which included 30 patients hospitalized in department of cardiology in la Rabta hospital for certain PVE according to DUCKES criteria.

Results: Our study consisted of 18 male patients with sex ratio of 1.5 ,the mean age was 44 years; These PVE were early in 6 cases and delayed in 24 cases. Fever was present in 28 patients..splénomegaly was present in 7 patients and cutaneous signs were present in 6 patients Blood cultures were negatives in 16 patients .Staphylococcus was isolated in 7 cases (23.3%), a streptococcus in 5 cases (16.6%), a gram negative bacillus in 1 case (3, 3%) and one enterococci in 1 case (3.3%).The transesophageal and transthoracic echocardiography performed in all patients showed vegetation for 17 patients, a Dishence of prosthetic valve in 14 patients, prosthesis obstruction in two patients and annular abscess in 4 patients . 22 complications were reported in 21 patients; il was an hemodynamic complication in 13 cases , a septic complication (uncontrolled infection ) in three patients, embolic complication (ischemic transit stroke ) in 4 cases and mixed (hemodynamic and septic) in one patient. The indication for surgery was retained in 18 patients; the need for early surgery was because of congestive heart failure in 14 patients and uncontrolled infection in 4 patients ; but it was performed in 13cases with a period between 1 and 30 days the operation the global mortality was about 30%. he predictors factors of mortality released from our study are: the early character of EPV, heart failure, uncontrolled infection, staphylococcal endocarditis and dishence of prosthesis with significant regurgitation.

Conclusion: PVE is still a serious complication leading to high mortality . Combined medical and surgical treatment is recommended.