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Published on: June 11, 2011

Endocarditis in the setting of HIV infection

Eulalia Valencia1, José Miró

  • 1Service of Infectious Diseases, Hospital Carlos III, Sinesio Delgado, 10 28029 Madrid, Spain. evalencia.hciii@salud.madrid.org

AIDS Reviews
|August 31, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Infective endocarditis (IE) is a significant concern for HIV-infected intravenous drug addicts (IVDA). Patient outcomes in IE depend more on the affected valve and bacteria than HIV status.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • HIV Medicine

Background:

  • Cardiac complications are increasingly recognized in individuals with HIV infection.
  • Infective endocarditis (IE) is the most prevalent cardiac issue among HIV-infected intravenous drug addicts (IVDA).
  • Other cardiac conditions include pulmonary hypertension, cardiotoxicity, pericardial effusion, and cardiac neoplasms.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the literature and authors' experience regarding infective endocarditis in HIV-infected patients.
  • To analyze the clinical presentation, causative agents, and outcomes of IE in this population.

Main Methods:

  • A comprehensive literature review of published studies on infective endocarditis.
  • Inclusion of the authors' personal clinical experience.

Main Results:

  • The clinical presentation of IE remains consistent.
  • Staphylococcus aureus is the most common pathogen, with a predilection for the right side of the heart.
  • The impact of HIV infection on IE progression and treatment efficacy requires further clarification; treatment mirrors that for HIV-negative individuals.

Conclusions:

  • IE accounts for a substantial proportion of hospital admissions (5-20%) and deaths (5-10%) in HIV-infected IVDA.
  • Clinical outcomes are primarily determined by the affected heart valve and the specific microorganism, rather than the patient's HIV serostatus.
Abstract

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