What is Infective Endocarditis? Before discussing Infective Endocarditis, it’s imperative to understand where the endocardium is along with its function because endocarditis affects this area of the heart. The Endocardium is the innermost layer of heart tissue that lines the cavities and valves of the heart and is composed of loose epithelial and connective tissue. The endocardium regulates contractions of the heart and helps regulate the composition of the blood that feeds the tissues of the heart (Kenney, 2015). Infective Endocarditis, IE, is an infection of the endocardium that generally occurs when bacteria or germs from another part of the body, such as the mouth, spread through the bloodstream and attach to damaged areas in the heart (Endocarditis Definition, 2015). Individuals that have an increased risk of developing Endocarditis include:
• Those with Pacemakers or Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator (ICD)
• Individuals with existing conditions of the heart valves
• HIV (What Increases Your Risk of Endocarditis?, 2015).
• Diabetes Mellitus and long term hemodialysis (Infective endocarditis in adults, 2001).
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More than a quarter of all cases occur in individuals that are older than 60 years of age (Heart Valves and Infective Endocarditis, 2014). In the United States alone, national data indicated that in 2009 there were up to 28,000 hospital discharges related to IE (What is Infective Endocarditis, 2012). As stated, endocarditis occurs when germs enter the bloodstream and infect individuals who already have a weakened heart. Bacteria and germs have always existed from the beginning of time, and it today’s culture, there are more and more individuals with heart conditions that are prone to having this
Addie acquired Stenotrophomonas bacterial infection in the hospital. She acquired it from the tubes of the lung bypass machine ECMO which doctors used to try and support her respiration after her
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and the estimated cost of treatment is $32 billion yearly. Approximately 5 million people living in the United States suffer from congestive heart failure (CHF) and half of those diagnosed will die within 5 years. An individual may present to the hospital with weakness, short of breath (SOB), swelling of the extremities, ascites, and breathing difficulties while lying down. The quality and length of life for someone suffering from heart failure can be improved with early diagnosis, medication, physical activity, and diet modification (CDC, 2013).
Dental practitioners take action to minimize the risk of a disease from certain procedures that may allow bacteria from the mouth to enter the bloodstream. Antibiotic premedication therapy is a prophylactic measure that prevents bacteria from being released into the blood stream. The bacteria can infect the heart lining, as well as the valves or blood vessels, causing them to become inflamed. Infective endocarditis (IE), the name for the inflammation, has the potential to be fatal or debilitating. The risk of developing IE can happen from a combi¬nation of high-risk patients and dental procedures. While this is not an issue for most patients, some do require protection. The American Heart Association recommends antibiotic premedication therapy before dental procedures. But only for those whose cardiac conditions as well as a few other conditions are associated with the highest risk of adverse outcome.3
In conclusion, endothelial cells in atherosclerosis causes the increased expression of surface adhesion molecules which results in the increased amount of leukocytes attracted to the site and thus causing more inflammation than usual. In infective endocarditis, NBTE allows bacterial adhesion of the heart valves, mediated by ClfA and then FnbpA. These causes a range of reactions spanning of vegetative growth to inflammation.
Slack, John M. and I. S. Snyder. Bacteria and Human Disease. Chicago: Year Book Medical Publishers, Inc., 1978.
This disease involves inflammation of the heart muscles or the surrounding tissues, which may be caused by bacterial, viral, or fungal infections, or by immune diseases. Those most at risk include individuals who had a congenital birth defect or previous injury to the heart, intravenous drug users, and those with an artificial heart valve.
A., Gewitz, M., Lockhart, P. B., Baddour, L. M., Levison, M., . . . The Council on Scientific Affairs of the American Dental Association has approved the guideline as it relates to dentistry. In addition, this guideline has been endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, Infectious Diseases Society of America (2007). Prevention of infective endocarditis: Guidelines from the American Heart Association: A guideline from the American Heart Association Rheumatic Fever, Endocarditis and Kawasaki Disease Committee, Council on Cardiovascular Disease in the Young, and the Council on Clinical Cardiology, Council on Cardiovascular Surgery and Anesthesia, and the Quality of Care and Outcomes Research Interdisciplinary Working Group". Circulation, 116(15), 1736-1754.
The primary concern for Mr. Miller would be preventing further ischemia and necrosis of the myocardial tissues, preventing serious complications such as cardiac dysrhythmias and heart failure, as well as relieving his chest pain that radiates to his left arm. Preventing further ischemia and necrosis of the myocardial tissue will help prevent the development of heart failure due to myocardial infarction, whereas relieving his pain will help reduce his episodes of shortness of breath, and will also help to reduce any anxiety and restlessness he may be having from being in pain and short of breath.
The initial cause of all further problems is the infection. This can occur anywhere in the body. The most common sites of infection that can lead to sepsis include: urinary tract, skin, abdominal, and respiratory. These infections can occur at any time, in any population; however, there are some groups of people who are at a higher risk. These include individuals who have been diagnosed with: diabetes mellitus, renal failure, heart failure, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (Leon, Hoyos, Barrera, De La Rosa, Dennis, Duenas, Granados, Londono, Rodriguez, Molina, Ortiz, Jaimes, 2013). The infection is the first step in patients who go into septic shock. Performing cultures and treating this infection e...
Cardiovascular Disease is broad term that encompasses several diseases related to heart or blood vessels or both. Some of which include, congenital heart abnormalities, ischemic heart disease, hypertension, diseases of the cardiac valves, cardiomyopathies, and cancer. There are many causes of CVD but hypertension and atherosclerosis (hardening of the artery) are most common. It’s true when H.L. Menchen said, “As the arteries grow hard, the heart grows soft.”
Everyone knows that the heart is a vital organ and we cannot live without it. It is complex and important; therefore it is critical to know how it works. With knowledge about the heart and what is good and bad for it, one can significantly decrease the risk for diseases. Now, the heart has three layers. Endocardium is the smooth inside lining, myocardium id is the middle layer of heart muscle, and it is surrounded by a fluid filled sac called the pericardium. The heart is split into four parts; some may call it chamber or rooms. These parts are the: right atrium, the left atrium, the right ventricle, and the left ventricle. The chambers are separated by partition walls known as the septum and each has a one-way valve that prevents blood from flowing backwards.
bacteria can spread to the heart and arteries causing life threatening problems. It is obvious that
In the documentary, Hunting the Nightmare Bacteria, reporter David Hoffman investigates this new untreatable infection along two individuals and a bacterial virus within a hospital. The first individual Hoffman investigates is Addie Rerecich of Arizona, she was treated for a staph infection with antibiotics, but other complications arise. Addie had a lung transplant, she was given several different antibiotics, but her body became pan-bacteria, non-resistance to the bacteria. Addie’s life was on the edge, she had to be on life support, and finally she received new lungs. The transplant helped Addie but it would take years before could go back to normal before the infection. The second individual is David Ricci; he had his leg amputated in India after a train accident. The antibiotic treatment he received became toxic to his body increasing problems. While in India, he underwent surgery almost every day because of infections he was developing. Back in Seattle, doctors found the NDM-1 resistance gene in his body; NDM-1 gene is resistance to almost all antib...
These causes will change the heart significantly. The pathophysiology of heart failure is described differently as: (1) an oedematous disorder, by means of which the deviations in renal hemodynamics and excretory ability lead to salt and water holding; (2) a hemodynamic disorder, considered by peripheral vasoconstriction and decreased cardiac output; (3) a neurohormonal disorder, mainly by stimulation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system and adrenergic nervous system; (4) an inflammatory syndrome, related with amplified local and circulation pro-inflammatory cytokines; (5) a myocardial disease, started with an damage to the heart trailed by pathological ventricular transformation. In heart failure, the heart sustains either a sudden or longstanding structural injury. When damage occurs, sequences of firstly compensatory but consequently maladaptive mechanisms follow (Henry & Abraham, ).
Some people are at greater risk for bacterial infections because of their age or immune status. Young children, pregnant women and their fetuses, the elderly, and people with lowered immunity are at greatest risk.