NURS 201 Lecture Notes - Infective Endocarditis, Heart Valve, Antibiotic Prophylaxis
28 Apr 2013
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Document Summary
Infective endocarditis (ie) is an infection of the endocardial surface of the heart that affects the cardiac valves. Two forms of ie include the subacute form (typically affecting those with preexisting valve disease) and the acute form (typically affecting those with healthy valves). The most common causative organisms of ie are staphylococcus aureus and. The principal risk factors for ie are prior endocarditis, prosthetic valves, acquired valvular disease, and cardiac lesions. Vegetations, the primary lesions of ie, adhere to the valve surface or endocardium and can embolize to various organs (particularly the lungs, brain, kidneys, and spleen) and to the extremities, causing limb infarction. The infection may spread locally to cause damage to the valves or to their supporting structures resulting in dysrhythmias, valvular incompetence, and eventual invasion of the myocardium, leading to heart failure (hf), sepsis, and heart block.
