Bacterial Spectrum and Infective Foci in Patients Operated for Infective Endocarditis: Time to Rethink Strategies?

Abstract

Abstract Objective The rising incidence of infective endocarditis (IE) accompanied by the de-escalation of antibiotic prophylaxis and the complexity of surgical treatment makes IE a daunting foe. We reviewed all patients who underwent cardiac surgery for IE at our institution with a focus on causative organisms and infective foci. Methods A review of 3,952 consecutive patients who underwent cardiac surgery at our institution between January 2013 and December 2017 revealed 160 patients (4%) who were operated for IE. Results The predominantly affected valves were the aortic (30%) and mitral valve (26.9%) as well as a combination of both (8.8%). A total of 28.8% of patients suffered from prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE). The most frequently identified causative organisms were Staphylococcus (45.7%), Streptococcus (27.5%), and Enterococcus species (16.7%), which was predominantly associated with PVE (p = 0.050). In 13.1% of patients, a causative organism has not been detected. The most frequent infective foci were dental (15%), soft-tissue infections (15%), spondylodiscitis (10%), and infected intravascular implants (8.8%). Relevant predisposing factors were immunosuppression (9.4%) and intravenous drug abuse (4.4%). Septic cerebral infarctions were diagnosed in 28.8% of patients. Postoperative mortality was 22.5%. Conclusions As the bacterial spectrum and the infective foci are still the “old acquaintances,” and with regard to the increasing incidence of IE, current risk–benefit evaluations concerning antibiotic prophylaxis may need to be revisited.