[Bacterial endocarditis in congenital heart defects (author's transl)]

Seven patients with bacterial endocarditis have been treated at the Department of Pediatric Cardiology University Göttingen from September 1975 to July 1978. All of them had congenital heart defects considered as a predisposing condition and confirmed by previous cardiac catheterization, three patients were cyanotic. Unlike the spectrum of micro-organisms prevalent hitherto Pseudomonas aeruginosa was isolated in three cases. In one of these patients antibiotic drug therapy was unsuccessful and only surgical management with closure of the rest-VSD and excision of the endocardiac lesions was finally helpful. Another patient died and Pseudomonas aeruginosa endocarditis was disclosed by post mortem examination only. The onset of symptoms in four patients was less than six months after cardiac surgery. In two cases aortic valve prosthesis became necessary. No relapse during the further follow up period was observed.