Immediate and long-term results of emergency aortic valve replacement in acute bacterial endocarditis

• Published in: Acta medica Scandinavica Vol. 200; no. 5; p. 373
• Main Authors: Alstrup, P, Fröysaker, T
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Sweden 01.01.1976
• Subjects: Acute Disease; Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aortic Valve Insufficiency - etiology; Aortic Valve Insufficiency - surgery; Emergencies; Endocarditis, Bacterial - surgery; Evaluation Studies as Topic; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Heart Valve Prosthesis; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Postoperative Complications - mortality; Time Factors
• ISSN: 0001-6101
• DOI: 10.1111/j.0954-6820.1976.tb08249.x

A surgically treated material comprising 18 patinets with heart failure from aortic insufficiency during acute endocarditis has been reviewed. At the time of operation the mean duration of heart failure was 3 weeks and duration of endocarditis 9 weeks. Blood culture was positive in half of the patients, 39% had predisposing valve disease, 14 (78%) had a preoperative heart catheterization. The peroperatively measured regurgitation averaged 55%. All 18 patients had an artifical valve implanted, and the mean observation time for 13 long-term survivors was 3 1/3 years. There were 3 postoperative and 2 late deaths. A long-term survival rate of 73% strongly supports early surgical treatment in patients with aortic insufficiency and heart failure during acute endocarditis.