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Published on: April 7, 2015
Salmonella bacteremia in patients with prosthetic heart valves
Abstract:
During 1982 and 1983, five patients with prosthetic heart valves and documented Salmonella bacteremia were admitted to the Instituto Nacional de Cardiolog ía in Mexico City. The clinical and microbiologic features in this group of patients are described, as well as the therapeutic implications when Salmonella bacteremia is present in patients with heart prostheses. None of the patients had evidence of infectious endocarditis; however, all received prolonged parenteral antimicrobial therapy for at least four weeks with ampicillin or chloramphenicol, with excellent clinical response.
Insights
Salmonella bacteremia in patients with prosthetic heart valves can be successfully treated with prolonged parenteral antimicrobial therapy, showing excellent clinical response without endocarditis.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Microbiology
Background:
- Prosthetic heart valves (PHV) pose a risk for infective endocarditis.
- Salmonella bacteremia is a rare but serious complication in PHV patients.
Observation:
- Five cases of Salmonella bacteremia in PHV patients were observed between 1982-1983.
- Patients presented with documented Salmonella bacteremia but no signs of infectious endocarditis.
Findings:
- All patients received prolonged parenteral antimicrobial therapy (ampicillin or chloramphenicol) for at least four weeks.
- Therapy resulted in an excellent clinical response for all five patients.
Implications:
- Prolonged antimicrobial therapy is effective for Salmonella bacteremia in PHV patients.
- This approach may prevent the need for valve replacement in select cases.
- Further research into optimal antimicrobial strategies for PHV infections is warranted.
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