ABC Medical Center > Diseases > Endocarditis

What is endocarditis?

4 May 2021

It is a localized infection in the endocardium, which is the tissue that surrounds the heart and its valves. The bacteria that cause endocarditis enter the blood as a result of a primary infection originated in other parts of the body, which may arise from surgery or other previous procedure.

Potential risks:

This condition usually generates the following complications:

  • Heart failure and other heart problems.
  • Brain aneurysm.
  • Clots. 
  • Widespread infection in the heart.

Signs and symptoms Endocarditis

Sometimes they develop slowly and gradually or can suddenly appear, the most common being:

  • Skin changes:
    • Paleness.
    • Bumps and spots on the fingers and toes.
    • Broken blood vessels in the nails, eyes, mouth, or chest.
  • Fatigue and weakness.
  • Shortness of breath.
  • Joint and muscle pain. 
  • High fever, chills, and excessive sweating. 
  • Fluid retention in the abdomen, legs, and feet.
  • Nausea and vomiting.
  • Lack of appetite and weight loss.
  • Convulsive episodes and mental alterations.
  • Blood in the urine.

Diagnosis and treatment Endocarditis

The doctor will physically examine your child, review his or her medical history, and ask about any symptoms he or she is experiencing. It will also order laboratory and diagnostic tests, such as an echocardiogram, complete blood count, and blood tests. 

The treatment to be followed will be determined according to the degree of infection, symptoms, age, and health of your child, and may include a mix of intravenous antibiotics or a surgical procedure.

Once the infection is controlled, your child will need ongoing medical and dental checkups, as well as frequent echocardiograms and blood tests. You will also need to maintain optimal dental hygiene.

Our Pediatric Heart Center is the only private center in Mexico to treat heart conditions with an exclusive unit for pediatric surgeries.

We have a group of highly trained specialists made up of pediatric cardiologists, echocardiographers, interventional cardiologists, electrophysiologists, pediatric cardiovascular surgeons, pediatric cardiovascular anesthesiologists, pediatric specialists in cardiovascular intensive care, nurses, medical assistants, perfusionists, psychologists, and social workers.

Services:

  • Cardiovascular surgery
  • Interventional cardiology
  • Pediatric echocardiography
  • Fetal echocardiography
  • Pediatric electrophysiology
  • Fetal electrophysiology
  • Cardiovascular intensive care unit
  • Pediatric cardiology clinic
  • Univentricular Heart Program

Related centers and departments Endocarditis

Pediatric Heart Center
Pediatric Center
High Specialty Surgery Center
Radiology and Molecular Imaging
Clinical Laboratory

Fuentes:

  • cardiopatiascongenitas.net
  • mayoclinic.org
  • medlineplus.gov
  • stanfordchildrens.org
  • texasheart.org
  • medigraphic.com
  • Padilla EDS, Acuña NIM, Rojas ZAG. Endocarditis infecciosa: una visión actualizada. Revista Médica Sinergia. 2021;6(05):1-13.
  • Álvarez ZA, Alberna CA, Dornes RR. Endocarditis Infecciosa Derecha. Presentación de un caso.. Rev Cubana Cardiol Cir Cardiovasc. 2019;25(4):.
  • Acosta CMG, Giunta CC, Gamarra AY. Prevención de la endocarditis infecciosa en niños y adolescentes con cardiopatías congénitas. Revisión de la literatura. Rev Odotopediatr Latinoam. 2018;8(2):194-204.
  • Ramos EC, González GM, López RM, et al. Mortalidad en pacientes egresados vivos con endocarditis infecciosa. Rev Cubana Cardiol Cir Cardiovasc. 2019;25(4):.

How can we help you?

    The dissemination of the content of this material is for informational purposes only and does not replace, under any circumstance or condition, a consultation with a specialist doctor, for which the ABC Medical Center is not responsible for the different use that may be given to it. If you require more information related to the subject, we suggest you contact the specialist doctor you trust directly.