Bacterial Endocarditis: What Is It? How Is It Treated?

A big concern among patients in our heart valve community is bacterial endocarditis. That’s because the heart is normally protected against infection by a strong immune defense system. But, when someone has a weakened or damaged heart valve, or a mechanical valve, bacteria are more likely to bypass that defense. Understanding more about bacterial endocarditis, its symptoms, and treatment can help heart valve patients better recognize the condition for prompt and effective intervention.

We met with Dr. Laura DiChiacchio, a leading cardiac surgeon at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California, to learn more about bacterial endocarditis and its treatment.

Video available online at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUB69f1Tebw

Key Facts Patients Should Know About Bacterial Endocarditis

Here are the important insights shared by Dr. DiChiacchio:

• What happens when someone has endocarditis? “Bacterial endocarditis occurs when an infection that has made its way into the bloodstream takes hold of a valve and starts to grow on that valve,” said Dr. DiChiacchio. “When it manifests acutely, it can cause destruction of the valve, and patients will have symptoms related to the valve not functioning well.

• According to Dr. DiChiacchio, patients don’t always know an infection is happening and symptoms may be delayed. "They may not be feeling well, or they might be short of breath. Sometimes they have a fever or feel like they can’t keep up with their normal activity. Usually, these symptoms mean that the bacteria are either infecting the valve or starting to destroy it. The body may also be fighting off the bacteria, which can cause scarring and fibrosis making it so the valve can’t function normally," she stated.

• How is endocarditis managed? Dr. DiChiacchio said, “The first line therapy is IV antibiotics. Then, we assess how the valve is responding to the infection, how the body is responding to the antibiotics, and whether the antibiotics alone will be enough for treatment. Once the infection really takes hold and there is growth or vegetation on the valve, it usually requires surgery to get the infection out and either repair or replace the valve. If it’s caught early enough, sometimes antibiotics can be enough.”

Thanks Dr. DiChiacchio and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center!

On behalf of all the patients in our community, thank you, Dr. DiChiacchio, for everything you and your team are doing at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California!

Related Links:

• See Dr. Laura DiChiacchio's Interactive Surgeon Profile

Keep on tickin,
Adam

P.S. For the deaf and hard-of-hearing members of our patient community, we have provided a written transcript of our interview with Dr. DiChiacchio below.