Why do drug addicts get endocarditis?
Intravenous (IV) drug users are at very high risk of acute endocarditis, because numerous needle punctures give aggressive staph bacteria many opportunities to enter the blood through broken skin. Dirty drug paraphernalia increases the risk. If untreated, this form of endocarditis can be fatal in less than six weeks.
Do drug addicts get endocarditis?
Infective endocarditis (IE) is a notorious complication of intravenous drug use (IDU). It typically affects the cardiac valves. Among these, the tricuspid is the most common affected valve, although the mitral and/or aortic valves can also be involved.
How do IV drug users get endocarditis?
Risk for infective endocarditis increases in IV drug users because contaminated needles can introduce bacteria into the bloodstream. In the current study, most patients admitted for drug-related infective endocarditis reported using heroin.
What is intravenous drug abuse endocarditis?
Infective endocarditis (IE) is one of the most severe complications in intravenous drug abusers (IVDA). IE usually involves the tricuspid valve, Staphylococcus aureus is the most common etiologic agent, and it has a relatively good prognosis.
What is the mortality rate of endocarditis?
Mortality rates also vary with the infecting organism. Acute endocarditis due to S aureus is associated with a high mortality rate (30-40%), except when it is associated with IV drug use. Endocarditis due to streptococci has a mortality rate of approximately 10%.
Why is IV drug use a risk factor for endocarditis?
The tricuspid valve is the most commonly involved valve in RSIE due to IVDA. Injection of recreational drugs results in entry of particulate matter such as talc into the circulatory system resulting in structural damage to the endothelium of the valve [12, 13].
What is the most frequent etiologic agent of acute infective endocarditis in IV drug abusers group of answer choices?
Staphylococcus aureus is the most common (< 50% of cases) etiologic organism in patients with IVDA IE. MRSA accounts for an increasing portion of S aureus infections and has been associated with previous hospitalizations, long-term addiction, and nonprescribed antibiotic use.
How do you treat septic embolism?
Treating the infection with antibiotics is typically the primary treatment for septic emboli. Depending on the location of the original source of the infection, treatment could also include: draining an abscess. removing or replacing infected prostheses.
Does endocarditis shorten life?
“Infective endocarditis is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. Several published studies have reported in-hospital mortality of 15 percent to 20 percent and 1-year mortality of 40 percent.