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Triphasic waves in endocarditis
1Neurology Section, St. Catharines General Hospital, Ontario, Canada.
Clinical EEG (Electroencephalography)
|January 1, 1990
Summary
A patient with bacterial endocarditis experienced altered consciousness and fever. Electroencephalogram (EEG) revealed triphasic waves during illness, which normalized with antibiotic treatment, suggesting a novel association.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Infectious Diseases
- Clinical Medicine
Background:
- Bacterial endocarditis is a serious infection affecting heart valves.
- Altered consciousness can be a neurological manifestation of systemic infections.
- Electroencephalography (EEG) is used to assess brain electrical activity.
Observation:
- A 45-year-old woman presented with probable bacterial endocarditis, characterized by a deteriorating level of consciousness and fever.
- During the acute phase of her illness, EEG monitoring revealed classical triphasic waves.
- These EEG abnormalities resolved as the patient's clinical condition improved with antibiotic therapy.
Findings:
- The study reports a novel association between the presence of triphasic waves on EEG and bacterial endocarditis.
- Triphasic waves, typically associated with metabolic encephalopathy, were observed in a patient with infectious endocarditis.
- Resolution of triphasic waves correlated with successful treatment of bacterial endocarditis.
Implications:
- This finding suggests that triphasic waves on EEG may indicate central nervous system involvement in bacterial endocarditis.
- It highlights the importance of EEG in evaluating neurological complications of infective endocarditis.
- Further research is warranted to explore the pathophysiology and diagnostic utility of this association.