Bethencourt Arian, Rodriguez Daylin, Ortet Dalie, Brown Tony L, Kerna Nicholas A, Reimon Joseph, Hernandez Robert
Internal Medicine Department, Kendall Hospital, USA.
College of Medicine, University of Science, Arts and Technology, Montserrat, British West Indies.
Cardiol Res Cardiovasc Med. 2018;3. doi: 10.29011/2575-7083.000032. Epub 2018 Jul 3.
The American Heart Association defines Infective Endocarditis (IE) or bacterial endocarditis as an infection caused by bacteria that enter the bloodstream and settle in the heart lining, heart valve, or blood vessel [1]. IE is considered the fourth most common life-threatening infection syndrome after sepsis, pneumonia, and intra-abdominal abscess. In 2010, IE was associated with 1.58 million disability-adjusted life years, or years of healthy life lost, as a result of death and nonfatal illness and impairment [2,3]. The variability in clinical presentation of IE and the importance of early diagnosis require a diagnostic strategy that is prompt for disease detection and specific for its exclusion across all forms of the disease [2].
美国心脏协会将感染性心内膜炎（IE）或细菌性心内膜炎定义为细菌进入血液循环并在心脏内膜、心脏瓣膜或血管中定植所引起的感染[1]。IE被认为是继败血症、肺炎和腹腔内脓肿之后第四常见的危及生命的感染综合征。2010年，由于死亡、非致命疾病和损伤，IE导致了158万个伤残调整生命年，即健康生命损失年数[2,3]。IE临床表现的变异性以及早期诊断的重要性要求采用一种诊断策略，以便迅速检测疾病并在所有疾病形式中特异性地排除该疾病[2]。
