Infective endocarditis in South African children

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Cardiology
• Infectious Diseases
• Clinical Microbiology

Background:

• Infective endocarditis (IE) is a severe infection affecting heart valves, posing significant risks in pediatric populations.
• Understanding the epidemiology and risk factors in children is crucial for timely diagnosis and management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To retrospectively review clinical and laboratory findings of infective endocarditis in a pediatric cohort over a decade.
• To identify common causative organisms, associated cardiac conditions, and risk factors for mortality.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective chart review of 29 pediatric patients diagnosed with infective endocarditis.
• Analysis of patient demographics, cardiac history, surgical interventions, causative microorganisms, and outcomes.

Main Results:

• Congenital heart disease (70%) and prior cardiac surgery (41%) were common. Staphylococcus aureus, S. epidermidis, and viridans streptococci were frequent pathogens.
• A high case fatality rate (35%) was observed in children under 6 months. Patients without underlying cardiac abnormalities faced increased risk.

Conclusions:

• Infective endocarditis in children presents with diverse underlying conditions, with infants and those without prior cardiac issues being particularly vulnerable.
• Standardization of diagnostic criteria for pediatric infective endocarditis is needed to improve epidemiological studies and collaborative research.