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Published on: April 18, 2016
Acute Q fever and the risk of developing endocarditis
A Martín-Aspas1, C Collado-Pérez1, L Vela-Manzano1
1Servicio de Medicina Interna, H.U. Puerta del Mar, Cádiz, España.
Objectives:
Assess clinical and serological data as parameters indicative of a possible evolution to endocarditis after an episode of acute Q fever.
Patients And Methods:
Retrospective cohort study of evolution to endocarditis after an acute Q fever episode, analyzing the clinical and serological evolution and the antibiotic treatment administered.
Results:
Eighty patients were recruited, 20% of whom had phase i IgG antibody levels ≥ 1:1024 in the first 3 months. Only 44% of the patients underwent antibiotherapy in the acute phase; only 2 patients underwent extended antibiotherapy. Fifteen percent of the patients underwent an echocardiogram. None of the patients had symptoms suggestive of chronic infection or progressed to endocarditis after a median follow-up of 100 months, regardless of the early increase in phase i IgG antibodies.
Conclusions:
The early increase in phase i IgG antibodies in asymptomatic patients is not associated with progression to endocarditis despite not undergoing prolonged antibiotic treatment.
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