Many people came across the situation when they seemed to have no complaints but no fulfilled life too. A person has shortbreathing, weakness, recurrent temperature rises and visits a doctor with these complaints. The process of searching for a diagnosis, as we, doctors, call it, begins. And it is a lottery game. If a patient meets a professional at the beginning, and the resources of the medical facility give the possibility to perform the complete range of the necessary examinations, then the diagnosis will be determined quickly. However, there are several insidious diseases in medical science, the diagnostics of which is complicated even in modern clinics. One of these is infective endocarditis.
Endocarditis is the inflammation of cardiac valves and inner heart sac. Bacteria, viruses, intracellular microorganisms cause the inflammation. The insidiousness of the disease lies in the fact that, as a rule, its symptoms are not specific. The symptoms include weakness, shortbreathing, temperature rising, leg swelling, manifestation of various types of eruptions on the skin. There are no clear signs of endocarditis in blood tests too. Here the long way in search of a diagnosis starts.
The fact that a patient knows about previous heart functioning disorders and tells a doctor about them may simplify the diagnosing process. Some risk factors for the development of endocarditis are valve functioning disorders, presence of implanted electric cardiac pacemakers, prostheses of vessels or valves. Narcotic injections also represent an important risk factor. Unfortunately, often the first signs of the disease are its complications: cardiac insufficiency, strokes, encephalopyoses.
So, if a patient has unmotivated weakness, elevated body temperature, shortbreathing, leg swelling, feels difficulty when practicing usual physical activities, a consultation by a cardiologist is needed. A doctor will perform a complex of laboratory and instrumental examinations, the main of which is heart ultrasound (conventional or transoesophageal) that allows to confirm or exclude a diagnosis.
The next step is to define the treatment approach. The therapy is performed in hospital conditions only, as timely treatment consists of taking antibiotics and surgical treatment. Antibiotics treatment is long-lasting, the minimal course lasts 4 weeks. In certain situations a council of a cardiologist and a cardiac surgeon decides on the surgical treatment, such as valve replacement. The main thing you should know is that endocarditis is currently hard to diagnose, but it can be successfully treated.
Take care of yourself and stay healthy!
Article author - Inna Gorobets, M.D.
Publication date: 09.12.2020
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