Infective endocarditis by HACEK: a review

• Published in: Journal of cardiothoracic surgery Vol. 17; no. 1; pp. 1 - 185
• Main Authors: Khaledi, Mansoor, Sameni, Fatemeh, Afkhami, Hamed, Hemmati, Jaber, Asareh Zadegan Dezfuli, Aram, Sanae, Mohammad-Javad, Validi, Majid
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London BioMed Central Ltd 19.08.2022; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Abscesses; Bacteria; Cardiovascular disease; Cardiovascular diseases; Care and treatment; Congenital diseases; Congenital heart disease; Coronary artery disease; Diagnosis; Echocardiography; Embolisms; Endocarditis; Epidemiology; Genetic disorders; Gram-negative bacteria; HACEK; Health aspects; Heart; Heart diseases; Hospitalization; Hygiene; Industrialized nations; Infection; Infections; Infective endocarditis; Microbiota; Microorganisms; Mortality; Oral hygiene; Organisms; Pathogens; Patients; Prostheses; Respiratory tract; Review; Surgery; Toiletries industry; Virulence
• ISSN: 1749-8090; 1749-8090
• DOI: 10.1186/s13019-022-01932-5

Infective endocarditis (IE) is a severe disease that is still associated with high mortality despite recent advances in diagnosis and treatment. HACEK organisms (Haemophilus spp., Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Cardiobacterium hominis, Eikenella corrodens, and Kingella kingae) are gram-negative bacteria that are part of the normal flora of the mouth and upper respiratory tract in humans. These organisms cause a wide range of infections, of which IE is one of the most notable. In order to control and prevent endocarditis caused by HACEK, measures such as oral hygiene and the use of prophylactic drugs should be used for people at risk, including people with underlying heart disease and people with artificial valves. This review is a summary of the main aspects of IE focusing on HACEK organisms.