Bacterial endocarditis

Bacterial endocarditis is an infectious inflammation of the endocardium, the inner membrane of the heart. The cause of its occurrence are some types of bacteria, for example, enterococcus, staphylococcus, green streptococcus. Most often, bacterial endocarditis affects the already damaged endocardium, that is, it develops as a secondary infection. Hence, on the inner shell of the heart, affected by rheumatism, congenital heart defects, atherosclerosis or syphilis, the above microorganisms settle.

The disease develops in this way: microbes that circulate in the blood settle on the heart valves, but they can attach to the valves only when the latter are damaged. Once the pathogenic microbes are fixed, they immediately begin to form colonies, actively multiplying. In doing so, they secrete toxins that act on the endocardium, causing its inflammation. But this mechanism is not unique, in themselves bacteria - foreign agents or antigens for the human body. Therefore, in response to their multiplication, the human immune system begins to actively develop specific antibodies. The antibody-antigen complexes formed as a result of the interaction in turn also act destructively on the endocardium.

Bacterial endocarditis. Symptoms

The main symptom is fever, in addition to it the patient complains of chills, joint pains, excessive sweating, the appearance of rashes on the skin. The diagnosis is made on the basis of complaints, examination by a specialist and test results. During the examination, the patient has a change in the shape of the nail phalanges of the fingers (fingers-drum sticks), a considerable increase in the spleen, and the nails become like watch glass. In the process of developing the disease, the patient loses weight, the skin becomes pale, and sometimes gets the color of coffee with milk. At auscultation of the heart pathological noise is determined. It is also necessary to take a blood test, undergo electrocardiographic and ultrasound examinations. In case of necessity, the patient can refer to other narrow specialists - nephrologist, rheumatologist and others.

Also, bacterial endocarditis is terrible with its complications, which can threaten not only health, but also human life itself. If the patient is not cured in time, then it can develop:

1) myocarditis and, as a consequence - atrial fibrillation;

2) various diseases of the urinary system, such as myocardial infarction, amyloidosis, all kinds of glomerulonephritis, nephritis;

3) thromboembolism of blood vessels;

4) myocardial infarction;

5) pneumonia.

Endocarditis. Treatment

What kind of treatment method the specialist will choose depends on many factors, for example, on the patient's age, the clinic of the disease, the symptoms present, and so on. But the decisive role still belongs to which bacterium caused bacterial endocarditis in this particular case. That is, you need to conduct a blood test in order to identify the pathogen, make an antibioticogram to determine which particular medicine will best cope with the elimination of the hostile organism. How long will be the course of antibiotic therapy, depends on the individual characteristics of not only humans, but also the strain of the microorganism. Usually, sulfonamides and erythromycin, sintomycin and ampicillin are used for this purpose, and so on.

With a timely begun and adequate treatment, the outlook is favorable. But, unfortunately, people do not rush to apply for qualified medical help, but prefer to wait - "but suddenly it will pass by itself," and they themselves transfer their illness from acute to chronic form.