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Endocarditis caused by anaerobic bacteria
M Kestler1, P Muñoz2, M Marín1
1Servicio de Microbiología y Enfermedades Infecciosas, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Departamento de Medicina, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, CIBERES, Spain.
Anaerobe
|April 9, 2017
Summary
Infective endocarditis (IE) caused by anaerobic bacteria is rare, often affecting prosthetic valves and requiring surgery. However, anaerobic IE (AIE) patients showed similar comorbidities but lower in-hospital mortality compared to other IE cases.
Area of Science:
- Infectious Diseases
- Cardiology
- Microbiology
Background:
- Infective endocarditis (IE) caused by anaerobic bacteria is uncommon and poorly understood.
- Existing data primarily comes from isolated case reports.
- This study investigates the characteristics and outcomes of anaerobic IE (AIE) in Spain.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the epidemiology and clinical features of anaerobic IE (AIE).
- To compare outcomes of AIE with IE caused by other microorganisms.
- To understand the role of anaerobic bacteria in IE.
Main Methods:
- A prospective study was conducted from 2008 to 2016 across 26 Spanish centers.
- Included 2491 consecutive cases of definite IE (Duke criteria).
- Data on patient demographics, clinical presentation, pathogens, treatment, and outcomes were collected.
Main Results:
- Anaerobic bacteria accounted for 22 cases (0.9%) of definite IE.
- Propionibacterium acnes was the most common pathogen (63.6%), often linked to odontogenic sources.
- Patients with AIE were more likely to have community-acquired IE and undergo cardiac surgery, with lower in-hospital mortality.
Conclusions:
- Anaerobic IE is an infrequent condition predominantly affecting prosthetic valves and often necessitating surgical intervention.
- Despite requiring surgery, AIE patients exhibited comparable comorbidity profiles but reduced in-hospital mortality versus non-anaerobic IE.
- No significant differences in outcomes were observed between AIE and IE caused by other pathogens when adjusted for clinical factors.
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