Endocarditis

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Endocarditis, infection and inflammation of the membrane lining the inner surface of the heart, including the heart valves. The two major forms of the disease are the acute type, which appears suddenly and can be fatal within a few days, and the subacute type, which develops slowly and may cause death within months. Many cases of the acute form are caused by the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus; the subacute form is often due to infection by streptococcal bacteria. Either type can result from fungus infections.

Subacute bacterial endocarditis usually results in fever, toxemia, and lesions of the heart valves; particles dislodged from these lesions often cause embolism. Infection of the heart valves and lining, or endocardium, may come from primary infections of the teeth, tonsils, and sinuses. The disease is characterized by the formation of bacterial or fungal growths on the valves and endocardium. It has its greatest incidence in people between the ages of 30 and 50 years. Antibiotic therapy, when used in large doses for extended periods, is effective in curing the bacterial infection of subacute bacterial endocarditis, but damage done to the heart by the bacteria cannot be repaired. Routine use of penicillin and other antibiotics during dental surgery and to treat primary bacterial infections has decreased the incidence of endocarditis.

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