The risk of bacterial endocarditis during antirheumatic prophylaxis
- 11 September 1967
- journal article
- research article
- Published by American Medical Association (AMA) in JAMA
- Vol. 201 (11), 807-812
- https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.201.11.807
Abstract
This study was undertaken to determine whether continuous antirheumatic prophylaxis increased the risk of bacterial endocarditis (BE) or of its resistance to therapy. Sixteen episodes of BE occurred among children and adolescents with rheumatic heart disease treated prophylactically for 3,615 patient years, a rate of 4.4 episodes per 1,000 patient years. This rate is similar to that observed in the preprophylactic era. The onset of BE in these patients often simulated a recurrence of rheumatic fever because of the frequent joint manifestations. Therefore, blood cultures are indicated whenever a patient with rheumatic heart disease has joint symptoms. Eight of the 16 organisms isolated were sensitive to penicillin in vitro; 4 were slightly sensitive; and 4 were resistant. The resistance was not of sufficient magnitude to interfere with a satisfactory therapeutic response. These data suggest no increased risk of BE in patients being treated prophylactical-ly.This publication has 5 references indexed in Scilit:
- A Long-term View of Bacterial EndocarditisAnnals of Internal Medicine, 1965
- THERAPEUTIC PRINCIPLES FOR STREPTOCOCCUS VIRIDANS INFECTIONS: RECURRENT BACTERIAL ENDOCARDITIS IN A CHILD WITH CONGENITAL HEART DISEASEPediatrics, 1965
- EVOLVING PICTURE OF RHEUMATIC FEVER - DATA FROM 40 YEARS AT HOUSE OF GOOD SAMARITAN1964
- Penicillin-resistant Bacteria in the Mouths and Throats of Children Receiving Continuous Prophylaxis against Rheumatic FeverAnnals of Internal Medicine, 1963
- PENICILLIN RESISTANCE OF NONHEMOLYTIC STREPTOCOCCI FROM RHEUMATIC CHILDREN RECEIVING PROPHYLACTIC PENICILLINPediatrics, 1949