Infective endocarditis – clinical presentation and therapy in older people
Journal Title: Postępy Nauk Medycznych - Year 2011, Vol 24, Issue 8
Abstract
Infective endocarditis (IE) is a fairly rare disease, but currently its incidence is increasing among elderly people, especially those subjected to invasive medical procedures, those with a valve prosthesis or a pacemaker. The diversity and atypicality of clinical symptoms is the reason why IE patients may present to doctors of different specialties. The diagnosis of IE always needs to be considered in the case of a persisting fever of unclear origin or unintentional weight loss in elderly people.IE in elderly patients is connected with a worse prognosis and more frequent complications. Poor and atypical symptomatology, which is characteristic for other disorders frequently observed among geriatric patients, leads to a delayed diagnosis, whereas numerous comorbidities and the ensuing higher preoperative risk result in surgical treatment being undertaken less frequently. Nevertheless, general principles of treating IE in elderly patients are the same as for younger ones, and the patient’s age per se should not be a contraindication to surgery, which improves prognosis in this group as well. Each case ought to be considered individually, and it is only a thorough assessment before the procedure and proper perioperative care that can prevent frequent postoperative complications in geriatric patients.
Authors and Affiliations
Agnieszka Kasiukiewicz, Beata Wojszel
Keywords
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