Infective endocarditis 1968-1977: an Asian experience.

The clinical pattern of infective endocarditis as seen in 101 patients at the University Hospital in Kuala Lumpur from 1968 to 1977 is reviewed. There were 60 males and 41 females. Majority of the patients were between 10-40 years of age. The most frequent underlying heart disease was rheumatic valvular disease (69%). Endocarditis was most frequent when aortic and mitral valve disease co-existed. Other than one patient who had candida endocarditis on a Bjork Shiley valve, the other patients had congenital heart disease. Patent ductus arteriosus was the commonest congenital heart disease. Microorganisms were identified in 77 patients. Streptococcus species was the commonest, followed by streptococcus aureus. The clinical features included fever, splenomegaly, petechial haemorrhages, finger clubbing, heart failure, peripheral and pulmonary emboli and neurological lesions. On adequate antibiotic therapy the hospital mortality was 22.7%. Most of the deaths were due to major cardiac or neurological complications.