Infective endocarditis 1973-1984 at the Bergen University Hospital: clinical feature, treatment and prognosis.

During the period 1973-1984, 72 patients with infective endocarditis (IE) were hospitalized in the medical department, Bergen University Hospital. The male/female ratio was 1.25/1, the mean age 55.3 years. 35 infections were caused by streptococci, 18 by staphylococci, 6 by other microorganisms and in 13 cases no causal organism was found. Only 13 patients had rheumatic heart disease. The overall mortality was 35%, and the mean age of the patients who died was 65 years. The case fatality rates for staphylococcal and streptococcal endocarditis were 61 and 24% respectively. In the period 1973-1978 the case fatality rate was 50% compared to 26% during 1979-1984. The proportion of patients with culture-negative endocarditis was reduced from 31 to 11% from the first to the second half of the study and the percentage of patients who received antibiotics before diagnosis decreased from 81 to 58%. Valve replacement was performed in 4 patients with staphylococcal and 15 with streptococcal infections. Seven cases (mean age 73.4 years) were diagnosed at necropsy; 3 with staphylococcal infections. With increased clinical awareness of IE, liberal use of blood cultures, better diagnostic tools and earlier surgical intervention, especially in staphylococcal infections, a further reduction in mortality should be possible.