Características clínicas e epidemiológicas da endocardite infecciosa no Hospital Universitário de Lagarto

Abstract

Introduction: Infective Endocarditis (IE) is an infectious process of the endothelial surface of the heart, involving heart valves, septum, chordae tendineae, and mural endocardium. Its incidence has increased in recent years, especially after 2015. This study aims to deepen the understanding of IE, particularly regarding cases at the University Hospital of Lagarto (HUL-UFS), in order to contribute to overcoming the challenges surrounding the disease. Method: This is a descriptive, observational, cross-sectional study through the analysis of medical records of all patients diagnosed with IE treated at HUL-UFS in the last 5 years (2020 to 2024). Results: Of the 31 patients evaluated, 20 (64.5%) were male, with a mean age of 54.83 years, with the over-60 age group being the most affected. 87% of participants identified as mixed-race and 32.2% were illiterate. It was observed that 22.5% had a history of valvular heart disease and 61.2% used a central venous catheter. S. aureus MRSA (22.5%) was the main etiological agent isolated, with 61.2% of infections being hospital-acquired. Regarding presentation, the presence of a new heart murmur (93.5%) and fever (90.3%) were the main clinical findings. More than half of the patients remained hospitalized for 1 to 30 days. The most frequently used antimicrobials were Vancomycin (51.6%) and Meropenem (35.4%). 70.9% of cases were uncomplicated, and 32.2% died. Conclusion: It was observed that the incidence and mortality of IE in our service are high in the studied population. A predominance of males was observed, and age had the greatest influence on mortality. The presence of anemia in 100% of the analyzed patients is noteworthy. Staphylococcus spp. was the most prevalent pathogen, but the importance of cases with negative cultures should be emphasized. Furthermore, it is worth highlighting that most IE cases were associated with healthcare, contrary to the trend seen in other studies.