[Clinical features of 18 patients with isolated right sided infective endocarditis]

To analyze the clinical characteristics of 18 patients with isolated right sided infective endocarditis (RSIE) who hospitalized in our department between August 2005 and February 2009.

The epidemiological and clinical data of 18 non-drug addicts with RSIE were retrospectively analyzed.

The incidence of RSIE accounted for 7.23% of all IE patients hospitalized in our department during the same period. Predisposing conditions were as follows: congenital heart disease (76.5%, 14/18), post operative procedures (3/18) and high dose glucocorticoids use (1/18). Fever (100%) was the most common clinical manifestation. Septic pulmonary embolism was the most prevalent complication (5/18). Staphylococci aureus (4/7) were the most common causative patho organisms, while the most common etiological organisms of left-sided and both-sided IE were Streptococci Viridans. Transthoracic echocardiography evidenced 17 cases of vegetations including 59.1% (13/22) tricuspid vegetations. There was no in-hospital death and the mean hospitalization duration was (22.0 +/- 18.9) days.

Congenital heart diseases, but not intravenous drug abuse, were the most prevalent predisposing factors for RSIE in this cohort. Staphylococci aureus were the most common causative organisms.