Copyright (c) 2026 Ckleopatra Valdés , Miguel Ángel Valdés
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Introduction: Infective endocarditis (IE) is a disease with a high mortality rate.
Objective: To identify the characteristics and complications of patients with IE.
Methodology: A descriptive, retrospective study using the medical records of patients hospitalized at Rafael Hernández Loeches Hospital from March 1, 2022, to October 31, 2023, with a diagnosis of IE confirmed by echocardiography, using a non-probabilistic convenience sample.
Results: Twenty-three cases were included. 34.8% were between 51 and 70 years of age. Women accounted for 56.5% of the cases. Native valve IE was the most common (95.7%). A heart murmur and fever were the presenting symptoms in 60.9% and 56.5% of cases, respectively. Heart failure was the most common cardiovascular disease (26.1%). Intravenous (IV) catheters were present in 56.5% of patients. 52.2% were admitted with a C-reactive protein level ? 72 mg/dL. Blood cultures were positive in 56.5% of cases, and the most common microorganism isolated was Enterococcus faecalis (21.7%). All patients underwent transthoracic echocardiography, and 26.1% underwent transesophageal echocardiography. The most common echocardiographic finding was vegetation (91.3%), and the mitral valve was the most commonly affected (73.9%). The main clinical complications were septic shock and acute kidney injury (47.8%). In-hospital mortality was 39.1%.
Conclusion: Endocarditis is a disease with high mortality; the mitral valve was the most frequently affected, Enterococcus faecalis was the most common pathogen, and the most frequent complications were septic shock and acute kidney failure.
