Research Paper On Infective Endocarditis

Infective endocarditis is a type of endocarditis which is classified as a cardiac disorder. It affects the endocardium which is the inner most layer of the heart, targeting mainly the valves but may also affect the heart chambers (Kumar, Abbas, Aster, 2015). This disease has an infective component which means pathogens have entered the area and disrupted the normal tissue (Cotran, Kumar, & Collins, 1999). Infective endocarditis may lead to severe valvular insufficiency, which inturn could possible lead to intractable congestive heart failure and myocardial abscesses. It forms areas of large bulky firable vegetations, which are composed of thrombotic debris and organisms (Huckwell, 2016).This may also lead to the destruction of the underlying
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3. Specimen description. (Do not rewrite descriptions given with specimen).
In reference to the image above the specimen would be described as presenting with bacterial vegetations on the heart valves. These may be single or multiple, friable, bulky and may be destructive depending on the type (Robbins, Cotran, Kumar, & Collins, 1999). These vegetations are made of fibrin, inflammatory cells, bacteria or other organisms. An abscess (ring abscess) cavity may form due to damage of the underlying myocardium by the bacteria found on the leaflets. This is most commonly found on the aortic and mitral valves. A common site of this infection for intravenous drug absuses is also the valves of the right side of the heart (Kumar, Abbas, Aster, 2015). Embolic fragments may have a high number of virulent organisms which dettach from vegetations at any period (Cotran, Kumar, & Collins, 1999). This is a common site for abscesses that go on to form septic infarcts or mycotic aneurysms. A fungal vegetation on the heart valve would generally appear larger than the bacterial vegetations (Robbins, Cotran, Kumar, & Collins, 1999). Fungal vegetations may cause systemic embolus and from there would form an abscess and septal infarts. The vegetations involving this disease will show granulation tissue with fibrosis, calcification and chronic inflammatory infiltrate (Robbins, Cotran, Kumar, & Collins,
The heart murmer is common on the left side but it may be due to a new valvular defect or from an abornamlity already present (Cotran, Kumar, & Collins, 1999). Fever may be absent is in the subacute disease stage common in elderly (Mylonakis & Calderwood, 2001). There may also be loss of weight, fatique and a flu like syndrome (which may be the only symptoms present with a subacute infective endocarditis). The acute infective endocarditis has a sudden onset of fever, chills, weakness and lassitude (Kumar, Abbas, Aster, 2015). Other symptoms include anaemia; deficiency of red blood cells or haemoglobin, emboli; a blood clot, microscopic haematuria; blood in the urine and clubbing of fingers; enlargement of the ends of the fingers (Brusch, 2016). There are other symptoms which are less common (occuring in about 50% of cases) which include; petechiae (small red or purple dot from bleeding into the skin), subungual (splinter) hemorrhages, osler nodes (painful raised lesions which are generally red), janeway lesions (non-tender lesions on palms) and roth spots (retinal haemorrhages with white or pale centres) (Brusch,