Stroke Flashcards
Define endocarditis
-inflammation of the endocardium and valves
-can be infective or non-infective
What is infective endocarditis?
-pathogens (bacteria) infect valves resulting in vegetations to develop
-vegetations can become emboli
What is endocarditis a risk factor for?
cardioembolic stroke
What are vegetations in relation to endocarditis?
-consist of fibrin, leukocytes, platelets, and microbes that adhere to the valve surface or the endocardium
-when parts break off into the circulation they become an emboli
What are common reasons for damage to the endocardium/valves?
rheumatic heart disease– a complication of rheumatic fever
What is rheumatic fever?
-inflammatory disease that affects connective tissues of the body and commonly affects the endocardium including heart valves, with the mitral valves being more affected
-most often is the result of an abnormal immune response following a streptococcal infection (strep throat)
What are the risk factors for developing infective endocarditis?
-invasive procedures cause about 25% of all cases of IE (ex. dental work)
-IV drug use– bacteria introduced into the venous system so the R side of the heart is primarily affected
just think of common ways for bacteria to get into the blood
How is infective endocarditis diagnosed?
-clinical history
-presenting symptoms
-blood cultures
-ECG
-Echocardiogram
What are the presenting symptoms of infective endocarditis?
-fever and chills
-fatigue
-night sweats
-abdominal discomfort
-heart murmur
-micro-emboli (petechiae/red pinprick spots and splinter hemorrhage/fingernails look splintered)
What are the interventions for infective endocarditis?
Acute IE
-IV antibiotics
-antipyretics for fever PRN
-valve repair/replacement
-assess for/treat complications (stroke, HF, PE, sepsis)
Prevention
-antibiotics before certain procedures
