Complications of Infective Endocarditis: A Case Report of Intracerebral Hemorrhage Exacerbated by Enoxaparin

Infective endocarditis (IE) can cause life-threatening intracerebral hemorrhage via the transformation of an embolic ischemic stroke. Navigating anticoagulant therapy for IE patients is challenging due to this risk. Hospitalized patients often receive anticoagulation to minimize venous thromboembolism (VTE). Those at higher VTE risk may require full anticoagulation, particularly if there is an initial suspicion of a blood clot. A timely IE diagnosis is crucial but is often delayed during inpatient stays, with the patient potentially already on anticoagulants for other conditions. Our case discusses a hemorrhagic stroke in a patient with IE while receiving therapeutic enoxaparin. Clinical signs and symptoms, echocardiographic findings, laboratory workup and microbiological data, and possibly other imaging techniques such as cerebral magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) need to be employed in a timely manner in determining endocarditis as a cause of stroke.