Current best practices and guidelines. Assessment and management of complications in infective endocarditis
Sexton, D.J.; Spelman, D.
Infectious Disease Clinics of North America 16(2): 507
2002
ISSN/ISBN: 0891-5520 PMID: 12092484 Document Number: 549060
The most important complications of endocarditis are congestive heart failure, paravalvular abscess formation, and embolism, especially stroke. In addition, endocarditis may be complicated by septic arthritis, vertebral osteomyelitis, pericarditis, metastatic abscesses and an array of renal problems ranging from immune-complex glomerulonephritis to renal abscesses. Adverse reactions associated with medical treatment of endocarditis can also result in significant complications such as ototoxicity and nephrotoxicity, skin rashes, and serum sickness. This review focuses on the cardiac, embolic, neurologic and renal complications of endocarditis and discusses how these complications influence the clinical management of individual cases in daily practice.