Bacterial Endocarditis Prophylaxis

Bacterial Endocarditis General Information

Bacterial Endocarditis is also commonly known as Infectious Endocarditis. This medical condition is an infective disorder that affects the patient’s heart valves or the individual’s inner surface of the heart. The cause of this clinical illness is the presence of certain forms of bacteria that may be located in the patient’s urinary tract, intestinal tract and / or mouth. The infection with the bacteria that causes this condition is considered very severe, and it requires special therapy options. If this infectious medical condition is not dealt with in an appropriate manner, the individual may develop the severe complications of this disorder (heart damage, death, and so on).

In most cases of Bacterial Endocarditis, the pathogen starts to grow on the edges of a defect of the heart muscle or on a defect that is located on the surface of one of the heart’s main valves. The bacteria generally enter the individual’s bloodstream through certain dental procedures. However, in some cases, the bacteria have entered the patient’s body through urinary tract or gastro-intestinal medical procedures. The bacterial colony continues to grow, leading to the appearance of vegetation (large particles that break off from the heart and travel to the skin, kidneys, brain, lungs, and so on). In this way, the infectious medical condition spreads to the other parts of the organism.

Bacterial Endocarditis Prophylaxis

The presence of this medical condition is generally due to repeated exposure to random bacteremias that are directly linked to the individual’s daily routine. However, cases in which the patient developed his or her Endocarditis due to a certain medical procedure have been reported. Bacterial Endocarditis Prophylaxis is only able to help prevent a very small number of clinical cases that involve the presence of this medical condition in the case of patients who undergo a certain type of surgical procedure with a medical purpose. In some cases, physicians recommend as one of the main Bacterial Endocarditis Prophylaxis measures the use of antibiotic remedies. However, in some cases the patient’s risk of developing the severe, unpleasant side effects that are widely associated with a prolonged treatment with antibiotics exceeds the potential benefit that may arise from such a therapy. A patient who wants to diminish his or her chances of experiencing this medical condition should take into consideration certain measures that we are about to describe in this chapter.

First of all, maintaining a proper oral hygiene and oral health is vital in order to reduce the incidence of various types of bacteremias that may arise due to the patient’s daily routine. This is sometimes considered more effective than most prophylactic antibiotics that serve the same purpose. All patients must know that it is impossible to prevent all cases of Endocarditis, as it is challenging to determine when a bacteremia (which may evolve in this severe, infectious disorder) may occur. After carefully studying the matter, various heart associations from all over the world have decided that only individuals who are known to be at a high risk of developing this medical condition should consider using prophylactic antibiotic medicines.

Patients who are known to present a very high risk of developing this medical condition (and who should carefully study all of the Bacterial Endocarditis Prophylaxis options that are available so far) include individuals who have a prosthetic heart valve, who have already suffered from this type of Endocarditis, who present a certain congenital heart medical condition, who have undergone a cardiac transplant and have later developed cardiac abnormalities of one or more of the heart’s main valves. Individuals who are considered to be at a high risk of developing this disorder should not ignore the other prophylactic measures that may be employed in the prevention of Endocarditis. We strongly recommend all individuals to start to regularly floss and brush their teeth. Regular visits to the dentist are of vital importance.

Bacterial Endocarditis Treatment