TY - JOUR
AU1 - Powderly, William, G.
AU2 - Stanley, Samuel, L.
AU3 - Medoff,, Gerald
AB - Abstract Pneumococcal endocarditis has declined sharply in incidence since the advent of penicillin but remains a potentially lethal infection. From 1980 to 1984, pneumococcal endocarditis was diagnosed in seven patients — four adults and three infants. Apart from one patient who had had a splenectomy, there were no recognizable predisposing factors to infection due to Streptococcus pneumoniae, although all three children were younger than 15 months of age. Congenital heart disease was present in two patients, calcific aortic disease in one, and mitral valve prolapse in a fourth. The remaining three patients had previously normal hearts. Meningitis occurred in five (71%) of the seven patients. Five patients were cured of their infection: four by medical therapy alone (penicillin or vancomycin), and a fifth, by medical therapy plus valvular debridement. Two patients died: one with intractable heart failure, and the second, from the complications of cardiac surgery. Penicillin alone is effective therapy for pneumococcal endocarditis. Patients unable to tolerate penicillin may be treated with vancomycin. This content is only available as a PDF. Author notes This study was supported in part by grant no. AI-07172 from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. The authors express their thanks to Dr. G. A. Storch for his critical review of the manuscript. Please address requests for reprints to Dr. W. Powderly, Division of Infectious Diseases, 5 Yalem, Jewish Hospital at Washington University Medical Center, 216 South Kingshighway, St. Louis, Missouri 63110. © 1986 by The University of Chicago
TI - Pneumococcal Endocarditis: Report of a Series and Review of the Literature
JF - Clinical Infectious Diseases
DO - 10.1093/clinids/8.5.786
DA - 1986-09-01
UR - https://www.deepdyve.com/lp/oxford-university-press/pneumococcal-endocarditis-report-of-a-series-and-review-of-the-DhKugH869r
SP - 786
EP - 791
VL - 8
IS - 5
DP - DeepDyve
ER -