There are many bacteria that can cause endocarditis. Your first step is informat

Question

There are many bacteria that can cause endocarditis. Your first step is information gathering – this may involve reading about this topic several times and asking yourself questions about it to deepen your understanding of all the issues associated with this disease. You will probably need to carry out research of your own to gain additional information and facts.

Create a list of all the etiological agents that cause endocarditis.

Choose a particular etiological agent and analyze how you would diagnose the disease caused by this pathogen.

Review how the patient will present in the hospital-i.e. what would be the presenting symptoms and the history.

What signs should you look for that point to an infection of the endocardium?

What would be the differential diagnosis?

What would be the tests needed to narrow down your diagnoses?

Once you have found a test for a definitive diagnosis, and the etiology is confirmed, how would this disease be treated?

What would be the prognosis or outcome?

In your conclusion, include all the possible causes of endocarditis that you excluded

Explanation / Answer

Endocarditis is a condition which is caused by bacteria present in the bloodstream that multiplies and spreads across the inner lining of the heart known as endocardium. It becomes inflamed and leads to damaged heart valves. Some of the etiological agents that cause endocarditis are staphyloccous aureus, streptococci viridians and coagulase staphylococci. It is also caused by enterococci.

Let us assume that the infection is caused by Staphylococcus aureus. In such cases, the diagnosis is can be done with help of ultrasound. With the help of transthoracic echocardiogram, it helps in finding out the infection. A blood test can also be done to find out the presence of the bacteria.

Some of the common symptoms are fever, chills, heart murmur due to blood rushing through the heart, fatigue, night sweats, chest pain, breathlessness, aching joints, swelling in body. Some of the uncommon symptoms noticed are blood in the urine, weight loss, spleen tenderness, presence of Janeway lesion which are red spots on the feet or palms etc.

Treatment can be done with help of antibiotics which can reduce the infection by killing the bacteria. The commonly used antibiotics are penicillin and gentamycin. Patients can also consume vancomycin. Surgery is another way to eliminate the disease and is recommended when heart valve is damaged due to infection or when large bacterial clumps are attached to heart valve.

It is caused when the bacteria or fungi that causes the infection enters the body. The bacteria forms clumps on the heart valve which leads to improper functioning of the heart causing the disease.

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