Prosthetic valve endocarditis: clinical findings and management.

Prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) was shown in 46 patients out of a group of 2163 carrying prosthetic heart valves. The cumulative rate of early PVE was 1.4% and 1.5% for PVE occurring between the 60th day and 10 years after surgery. In 37% of all cases this was caused by staphylococci, 20% by streptococci, and 13% Gram negative species. Fungi were found in 9% and mixed infections in 21%. The incidence of staphylococci, Gram negative pathogens and fungi was significantly higher in early PVE. In 5 patients, valve involvement consisted in echocardiographically shown vegetations and/or obstructive thromboendocarditis. In 90% of 37 patients who developed paravalvular leakages, there was high intravascular haemolysis uncharacteristic of the type of prosthesis implanted. In 70% fluoroscopy revealed disproportionate tilting of the prosthetic annulus, and in 75% there was a distinct echocardiographic pattern in the closing movement of the valve poppet. The cumulative survival rate after six months was 31% for the conservatively treated, and 66% for the medically plus surgically treated patients. Survival rates at the end of a maximum follow-up of 20 years was 15% with conservative treatment and 51% after primary surgical therapy. The prognosis was worse (P less than 0.01) in patients who, during aortic PVE, developed heart failure refractant to therapy due to haemodynamically significant prosthetic valve dysfunction, to sepsis that persisted for more than 72 h despite antibiotic therapy, to major septic embolism or to acute renal failure. The retrospective prognosis was more favourable for patients with early aortic (P less than 0.02) or mitral (P less than 0.05) valve re-replacement than for patients who had been treated medically only.