AI Article Synopsis

  • Infective endocarditis is a serious condition that can lead to severe heart and brain problems, making early recognition essential.
  • The spleen is critical for immune defense against infections, but there's limited research on the risk of endocarditis in patients who have had their spleen removed and have cardiac devices.
  • This case study details a 60-year-old patient who developed infective endocarditis after a splenectomy, leading to complications that required pacemaker removal and intensive antibiotic treatment.

Article Abstract

Infective endocarditis is a potentially life-threatening condition that can have grave cardiac and neurologic complications. Recognizing risk factors, such as the presence of Gram-positive bacteremia and cardiac devices, has improved early recognition and management. The spleen plays an important role in the immune response, helping protect the body from infection from various bacteria. However, there is a paucity of literature regarding post-splenectomy patients with cardiac devices and the risk of endocarditis in this population. We present a case of infective endocarditis as a late sequela post-splenectomy in a 60-year-old patient with a history of a dual-chamber pacemaker. The patient was initially found to have bacteremia after splenectomy with repeat transesophageal echocardiogram confirming a tricuspid vegetation. The patient ultimately required pacemaker extraction and a prolonged course of intravenous cefazolin. The clinical course was complicated by a septic pulmonary embolus.

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Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11467622PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.7759/cureus.69143DOI Listing

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