A Hole in the Heart, a Hole in the Defenses: A Case of Pseudomonas Endocarditis

• Published in: Curēus (Palo Alto, CA) Vol. 16; no. 6; p. e62373
• Main Authors: Naeem, Azka, Kansakar, Sajog, Basnet, Arjun, Naeem, Muzamil, Sharma, Neha, Paul, Saunders, Khan, Muhammad H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Cureus Inc 14.06.2024; Cureus
• Subjects: Abscesses; Antibiotics; Cardiology; Case reports; Catheters; Drug dosages; Drug use; Endocarditis; Fever; Fistula; Heart failure; Heart surgery; Hemodialysis; Hospitals; Immunocompetence; Infections; Infectious Disease; Internal medicine; Medical prognosis; Metastasis; Organisms; Patients; Preventive Medicine; Risk factors; Serology; New York; Lahore Pakistan; Pakistan; United States > US; echo cardiogram; mitral valve; valve replacements; infectious-septic endocarditis; end-stage renal disease; pseudomonas aeuginosa
• ISSN: 2168-8184; 2168-8184
• DOI: 10.7759/cureus.62373

Infective endocarditis (IE) is a rare but serious infection of the cardiac endothelium. This case report presents a rare instance of left-sided endocarditis in an immunocompetent patient without traditional risk factors for IE. endocarditis is uncommon and usually associated with specific factors. The patient in this case was a 30-year-old male with end-stage renal disease, receiving hemodialysis through a tunneled dialysis catheter, who developed a fever. Blood cultures confirmed as the causative agent, which prompted the administration of appropriate antibiotics and the removal of the catheter. However, subsequent imaging revealed significant damage to the mitral valve. Despite timely mitral valve replacement and aggressive medical treatment, the patient's condition worsened, and he ultimately succumbed to the infection. This case also emphasizes the necessity of timely diagnosis and intervention. In this patient, by the time it was diagnosed and managed, significant mitral valve damage had already occurred. Therefore, it should be considered a differential diagnosis even in patients with no risk factors and should be managed vigorously. endocarditis is associated with high mortality, and successful treatment often requires a combination of antipseudomonal antibiotics due to the organism's ability to develop resistance. Surgical intervention, such as valve replacement, is frequently necessary. This case underscores the importance of considering infection, even in patients without traditional risk factors for IE. Early diagnosis, appropriate antibiotic therapy, and timely surgical intervention are critical for improving outcomes in endocarditis cases.