Latent tuberculosis infection: approach and therapeutic schemes

Tuberculosis continues to be a major public health problem. A priority objective is the implementation of early diagnosis, contact investigation and latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) testing. World Health Organization (WHO) concludes that there is no gold standard for the diagnosis of LTBI; both the tuberculin test and IGRA (interferon gamma release assays) indirectly identify tuberculosis infection; both tests are considered acceptable but imperfect. WHO recommends that regimens that include rifamycins are equally effective but less toxic and more adherent than long regimens with isoniazid. (AU)

Prevention, Diagnosis and Management of Post-Surgical Mediastinitis in Adults Consensus Guidelines of the Spanish Society of Cardiovascular Infections (SEICAV), the Spanish Society of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery (SECTCV) and the Biomedical Research Centre Network for Respiratory Diseases (CIBERES).

This is a consensus document of the Spanish Society of Cardiovascular Infections (SEICAV), the Spanish Society of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery (SECTCV) and the Biomedical Research Centre Network for Respiratory Diseases (CIBERES). These three entities have brought together a multidisciplinary group of experts that includes anaesthesiologists, cardiac and cardiothoracic surgeons, clinical microbiologists, infectious diseases and intensive care specialists, internal medicine doctors and radiologists. Despite the clinical and economic consequences of sternal wound infections, to date, there are no specific guidelines for the prevention, diagnosis and management of mediastinitis based on a multidisciplinary consensus. The purpose of the present document is to provide evidence-based guidance on the most effective diagnosis and management of patients who have experienced or are at risk of developing a post-surgical mediastinitis infection in order to optimise patient outcomes and the process of care. The intended users of the document are health care providers who help patients make decisions regarding their treatment, aiming to optimise the benefits and minimise any harm as well as the workload.

TAT: normas aperceptivas en pacientes institucionalizados con trastorno mental grave y prolongado / TAT: apperceptive norms in hospitalized patients with severe and prolonged mental disorders

El Test de Apercepción Temática (TAT) es un test proyectivo inventado en 1935. Repasamos su origen, fundamento y utilidad a través del uso que del test han realizado diversos autores a lo largo de su historia. Asimismo, revisamos sus aplicaciones más recientes y reflexionamos sobre sus posibilidades. Por último, replicamos el estudio del que se sirvió Saul Rosenzweig para establecer normas de apercepción temática que se disponen en población general. En el presente estudio, con una metodología más rigurosa que la descrita por Rosenzweig, sugerimos un patrón de respuesta al test en sujetos con trastorno mental grave (fundamentalmente, esquizofrenia) que podría emplearse en análisis actuales de las respuestas al test

The Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) is a projective test created in 1935. In this article, its origin, bases and the usefulness that has shown throughout its history are reviewed. In addition, we examine its more recent applications and reflect on its possibilities. Finally, we replicate the study conducted by Saul Rosenzweig in order to establish adult apperceptive norms in the general population. In this paper, with a more rigorous methodology than that of Rosenzweig, we suggest a response pattern in individuals with severe mental disorders (mostly, schizophrenia)

Impact of a structured HIV testing program in a hospital emergency department and a primary care center.

INTRODUCTION: HIV testing guidelines are poorly implemented in most clinical settings. The best screening strategy and healthcare scenario are still unknown. The aim of our study is to evaluate the impact of a structured HIV testing intervention (DRIVE), compared to HIV testing as routinely performed in clinical practice, in two different clinical settings: a primary care center and an emergency department. METHODS: Prospective evaluation of an HIV testing strategy in two clinical settings from the same healthcare area. The DRIVE program included trained nurse practitioners to perform the screening, a questionnaire to assess the risk of exposure and HIV indicator conditions (RE&IC), and rapid HIV tests. The main variables between the DRIVE program and clinical practice were the absolute number of newly diagnosed HIV infections and testing coverage. RESULTS: The DRIVE program included 5,329 participants, of which 51.2% reported at least one positive answer in the questionnaire. The estimated HIV testing coverage was significantly higher in the DRIVE program than in the routine clinical practice (7.17% vs. 0.96%, p < 0.001), and was better in the primary care center than in the emergency department with the two strategies. Twenty-two HIV-positive people were identified, with a rate of 8.6‰ in the emergency department vs. 2.2‰ in the primary care center (p = 0.001). A higher rate of new HIV diagnoses was found in the DRIVE program compared to routine clinical practice (29.6 vs. 3.1 per 100,000 patients attended; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: An easy-to-implement, structured intervention increased the absolute number of new HIV diagnoses and HIV tests, compared to routine clinical practice.

Hypermucoviscous Klebsiella pneumoniae: A challenge in community acquired infection.

In 1986, a new syndrome was described in Taiwan secondary to hypervirulent K. pneumoniae (hvKP), and its main feature was the ability to cause severe infection in young and immunocompetent hosts. Their virulence is explained by the efficient acquisition of iron and an increase in capsule production, which confer the characteristic hypermucoviscous phenotype. Most of these cases have been described in Asia and subsequently spread to America and Europe, where their prevalence is much lower. We present four cases of bacteremia and liver abscesses secondary to hypervirulent K. pneumoniae, two of them associated with endophthalmitis. K. pneumoniae isolates recovered from two of the patients belonged to capsular serotype K1 (genes wzx_K1 and magA), while the other two were K2 (gene wzy_K2). Both of the K1 isolates were classified into a ST23, and isolates of serotype K2 belonged to the ST375 and ST881 clones. In Europe, hvKP isolates are less frequently recovered, mostly associated with Asian citizens or travelers, which was not the case in our patients. K1 capsular serotype is a major cause of primary liver abscess and secondary septic embolus, and K2 is associated with secondary liver abscess. Although these hypervirulent variants usually affect immunocompetent patients as in our cases, diabetes mellitus is a major risk factor for the most invasive cases, with concomitant poor prognosis. Identification of hypervirulent K. pneumoniae serotypes K1 and K2 should be considered as part of the microbiological diagnosis of community-acquired liver abscess due to their clinical implications.

Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of Streptococcus tigurinus endocarditis.

BACKGROUND: Streptococcus tigurinus was recently described as a new streptococcal species within the viridans group streptococci (VGS). The objectives of the present work were to analyse the clinical and microbiological characteristics of S. tigurinus isolated from patients with bacteraemias, to determine the prevalence of S. tigurinus among VGS endocarditis in Spain, and to compare the clinical characteristics and outcomes of endocarditis caused by S. tigurinus and other VGS. METHODS: Retrospective nationwide study, performed between 2008 and 2016 in 9 Spanish hospitals from 7 different provinces comprising 237 cases of infective endocarditis. Streptococcal isolates were identified by sequencing fragments of their 16S rRNA, sodA and groEL genes. Clinical data of patients with streptococcal endocarditis were prospectively collected according to a pre-established protocol. RESULTS: Patients with endocarditis represented 7/9 (77.8%) and 26/86 (30.2%) of the bacteraemias caused by S. tigurinus and other VGS, respectively (p < 0.001), in two of the hospital participants. Among patients with streptococcal endocarditis, 12 different Streptococcus species were recognized being S. oralis, S. tigurinus and S. mitis the three more common. No relevant statistical differences were observed in the clinical characteristics and outcomes of endocarditis caused by the different VGS species. CONCLUSIONS: In this multicenter study performed in Spain, S. tigurinus showed a higher predilection for the endocardial endothelium as compared to other VGS. However, clinical characteristics and outcomes of endocarditis caused by S. tigurinus did not significantly differ from endocarditis caused by other oral streptococci.

Antimicrobial management of Tropheryma whipplei endocarditis: the Spanish Collaboration on Endocarditis (GAMES) experience.

OBJECTIVES: Tropheryma whipplei has been detected in 3.5% of the blood culture-negative cases of endocarditis in Spain. Experience in the management of T. whipplei endocarditis is limited. Here we report the long-term outcome of the treatment of previously reported patients who were diagnosed with infective endocarditis (IE) caused by T. whipplei from the Spanish Collaboration on Endocarditis-Grupo de Apoyo al Manejo de la Endocarditis Infecciosa en España (GAMES) and discuss potential options for antimicrobial therapy for IE caused by T. whipplei. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Seventeen patients with T. whipplei endocarditis were recruited between 2008 and 2014 in 25 Spanish hospitals. Patients were classified according to the therapeutic regimen: ceftriaxone and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, doxycycline + hydroxychloroquine and other treatment options. RESULTS: Follow-up data were obtained from 14 patients. The median follow-up was 46.5 months. All patients completed the antibiotic treatment prescribed, with a median duration of 13 months. Six patients were treated with ceftriaxone and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (median duration 13 months), four with doxycycline + hydroxychloroquine (median duration 13.8 months) and four with other treatment options (median duration 22.3 months). The follow-up after the end of the treatments was between 5 and 84 months (median 24 months). CONCLUSIONS: All treatment lines were effective and well tolerated. Therapeutic failures were not detected during the treatment. None of the patients died or experienced a relapse during the follow-up. Only six patients received antibiotic treatment in accordance with guidelines. These data suggest that shorter antimicrobial treatments could be effective.

Outpatient Parenteral Antibiotic Treatment for Infective Endocarditis: A Prospective Cohort Study From the GAMES Cohort.

BACKGROUND: Outpatient parenteral antibiotic treatment (OPAT) has proven efficacious for treating infective endocarditis (IE). However, the 2001 Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) criteria for OPAT in IE are very restrictive. We aimed to compare the outcomes of OPAT with those of hospital-based antibiotic treatment (HBAT). METHODS: Retrospective analysis of data from a multicenter, prospective cohort study of 2000 consecutive IE patients in 25 Spanish hospitals (2008-2012) was performed. RESULTS: A total of 429 patients (21.5%) received OPAT, and only 21.7% fulfilled IDSA criteria. Males accounted for 70.5%, median age was 68 years (interquartile range [IQR], 56-76), and 57% had native-valve IE. The most frequent causal microorganisms were viridans group streptococci (18.6%), Staphylococcus aureus (15.6%), and coagulase-negative staphylococci (14.5%). Median length of antibiotic treatment was 42 days (IQR, 32-54), and 44% of patients underwent cardiac surgery. One-year mortality was 8% (42% for HBAT; P < .001), 1.4% of patients relapsed, and 10.9% were readmitted during the first 3 months after discharge (no significant differences compared with HBAT). Charlson score (odds ratio [OR], 1.21; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04-1.42; P = .01) and cardiac surgery (OR, 0.24; 95% CI, .09-.63; P = .04) were associated with 1-year mortality, whereas aortic valve involvement (OR, 0.47; 95% CI, .22-.98; P = .007) was the only predictor of 1-year readmission. Failing to fulfill IDSA criteria was not a risk factor for mortality or readmission. CONCLUSIONS: OPAT provided excellent results despite the use of broader criteria than those recommended by IDSA. OPAT criteria should therefore be expanded.

Tratamiento de las infecciones producidas por micobacterias no tuberculosas / Treatment of infections caused by nontuberculous mycobacteria

Las micobacterias no tuberculosas forman un grupo heterogéneo de microorganismos que en numerosas ocasiones son causa de infección en humanos, si bien también pueden considerarse en ocasiones como contaminantes o colonizadores. El manejo de estas infecciones debe necesariamente tener en cuenta la especie aislada y su sensibilidad in vitro (aunque no en todas ellas), así como las características del propio paciente, ya que estos tratamientos suelen ser prolongados y, necesariamente, deben ser llevados a cabo por expertos en el manejo de estas infecciones. Clásicamente divididas en micobacterias de crecimiento lento y micobacterias de crecimiento rápido, los esquemas de tratamiento y los antibióticos empleados son diferentes en ambos casos. Además, en determinadas circunstancias este tratamiento deberá necesariamente ir unido a otras medidas (retirada de cuerpos extraños, cirugía) con el objetivo de tener las máximas posibilidades de conseguir la curación del paciente

Nontuberculous mycobacteria are a heterogeneous group of microorganisms that can often cause human infection, although they may also be considered to be contaminants or colonisers on occasions. The management of these infections must necessarily take into account the identification of isolated species and their in vitro susceptibility testing (although not for all of them), as well as the characteristics of the patient, because these treatments are usually prolonged and must be carried out by experts in the management of these infections. Classically divided into slowly growing mycobacteria and rapidly growing mycobacteria, the treatment regimens and the antibiotics used are different for both groups. In addition, in certain circumstances, this treatment must necessarily be linked to other measures (removal of foreign bodies, surgery) in order to maximise the likelihood of curing the patient

Infective Endocarditis in Patients With Bicuspid Aortic Valve or Mitral Valve Prolapse.

BACKGROUND: There is little information concerning infective endocarditis (IE) in patients with bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) or mitral valve prolapse (MVP). Currently, IE antibiotic prophylaxis (IEAP) is not recommended for these conditions. OBJECTIVES: This study sought to describe the clinical and microbiological features of IE in patients with BAV and MVP and compare them with those of IE patients with and without IEAP indication, to determine the potential benefit of IEAP in these conditions. METHODS: This analysis involved 3,208 consecutive IE patients prospectively included in the GAMES (Grupo de Apoyo al Manejo de la Endocarditis infecciosa en España) registry at 31 Spanish hospitals. Patients were classified as high-risk IE with IEAP indication (high-risk group; n = 1,226), low- and moderate-risk IE without IEAP indication (low/moderate-risk group; n = 1,839), and IE with BAV (n = 54) or MVP (n = 89). RESULTS: BAV and MVP patients had a higher incidence of viridans group streptococci IE than did high-risk group and low/moderate-risk group patients (35.2% and 39.3% vs. 12.1% and 15.0%, respectively; all p < 0.01). A similar pattern was seen for IE from suspected odontologic origin (14.8% and 18.0% vs. 5.8% and 6.0%; all p < 0.01). BAV and MVP patients had more intracardiac complications than did low/moderate-risk group (50% and 47.2% vs. 30.6%, both p < 0.01) patients and were similar to high-risk group patients. CONCLUSIONS: IE in patients with BAV and MVP have higher rates of viridans group streptococci IE and IE from suspected odontologic origin than in other IE patients, with a clinical profile similar to that of high-risk IE patients. Our findings suggest that BAV and MVP should be classified as high-risk IE conditions and the case for IEAP should be reconsidered.

Treatment of infections caused by nontuberculous mycobacteria. / Tratamiento de las infecciones producidas por micobacterias no tuberculosas.

Nontuberculous mycobacteria are a heterogeneous group of microorganisms that can often cause human infection, although they may also be considered to be contaminants or colonisers on occasions. The management of these infections must necessarily take into account the identification of isolated species and their in vitro susceptibility testing (although not for all of them), as well as the characteristics of the patient, because these treatments are usually prolonged and must be carried out by experts in the management of these infections. Classically divided into slowly growing mycobacteria and rapidly growing mycobacteria, the treatment regimens and the antibiotics used are different for both groups. In addition, in certain circumstances, this treatment must necessarily be linked to other measures (removal of foreign bodies, surgery) in order to maximise the likelihood of curing the patient.

Mortality risk prediction in infective endocarditis surgery: reliability analysis of specific scores.

OBJECTIVES: We assessed the prognostic utility of risk scores in surgery for infective endocarditis (IE) to evaluate their reliability in mortality risk prediction. METHODS: An observational retrospective study was developed to include all patients who underwent surgery for active IE from 2002 to 2016. Classical and endocarditis-specific risk scores were calculated. RESULTS: A total of 180 patients were included in the study. The 30-day mortality rate was 26.82% [95% confidence interval (CI) 20.26-33.20%]. Classical risk scores were confirmed to have a suboptimal prognostic ability. Therefore, 4 IE-specific risk scores were calculated. Discrimination was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. It was 0.76 (95% CI 0.68-0.82) for the Society of Thoracic Surgeons-IE (STS-IE) score; 0.68 (95% CI 0.58-0.76) for the De Feo-Cotrufo score; 0.73 (95% CI 0.66-0.79) for the PALSUSE score and 0.65 (95% CI 0.57-0.72) for the Costa score. The STS-IE score had higher discrimination when compared with the De Feo-Cotrufo score (P = 0.055) and the Costa score (P = 0.024); however, there was no significant difference when we compared the STS-IE score with the PALSUSE score (P = 0.58). Calibration was assessed using the Hosmer-Lemeshow test; an adequate calibration was confirmed in all 4 scores. CONCLUSIONS: Specific risk scores had better prognostic performance than classical risk scores. The STS-IE score had the highest discrimination and was adequately calibrated. The PALSUSE score also showed optimal discrimination and calibration. The De Feo-Cotrufo score had a lower discrimination in our sample; however, the De Feo-Cotrufo score is recommended in the current guidelines. The Costa score had the lowest discrimination.

The changing epidemiology of tuberculosis in a Spanish tertiary hospital (1995-2013).

Important epidemiological changes and improvement of new diagnostic approaches, mainly molecular tools, might have impacted the management and outcome of tuberculosis (TB) in the last years in industrialized countries. In order to describe the epidemiological trends, and changes in clinical, diagnostic, and therapeutic aspects in patients with TB, an observational study was performed in a tertiary hospital in Western Europe (Madrid, Spain).All adult patients (>16 years) with a diagnosis of TB in the period 1995 to 2013 were included in the study.TB was diagnosed in 1284 patients, including 304 (24%) foreign-born and 298 (23.2%) human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients. The proportion of foreign-born patients increased significantly, from 7.4% (1995) to 40.3% (2013), P < .001, while the proportion of patients with HIV infection decreased (from 41% to 15%, P < .001). Extrapulmonary locations of TB increased (from 23.9% to 37.1%, P < .001), although the miliary forms were less frequent (from 16% to 5.6%, P < .001). Pulmonary involvement remained constant during the period of study (from 50% to 46%, P = .18). The yield of microbiological diagnostic methods in different clinical specimens has remained very similar. Only molecular techniques have improved the diagnosis in respiratory, urinary, and peritoneal samples. The global cure rate was 64.8% and mortality rate was 9.1% (6.5% directly attributable to TB). Mortality has decreased significantly during the years of study (from 11% to 2%, P < .001).There has been a significant decline in the number of patients with TB. Changes in HIV coinfection and immigration have conditioned other epidemiological and clinical aspects of the disease, including the clinical presentation, treatment response, and mortality. Only the use of molecular tests has provided an improvement in the diagnosis of pulmonary and extrapulmonary TB.

Ceftazidime-Avibactam as Salvage Therapy for Infections Caused by Carbapenem-Resistant Organisms.

Ceftazidime-avibactam (CAZ-AVI) is a recently approved ß-lactam-ß-lactamase inhibitor combination with the potential to treat serious infections caused by carbapenem-resistant organisms. Few patients with such infections were included in the CAZ-AVI clinical trials, and clinical experience is lacking. We present a case series of patients with infections caused by carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) or Pseudomonas aeruginosa (CRPa) who were treated with CAZ-AVI salvage therapy on a compassionate-use basis. Physicians who had prescribed CAZ-AVI completed a case report form. We used descriptive statistics to summarize patient characteristics and treatment outcomes. We used the Wilcoxon rank sum test and Fisher's exact test to compare patients by treatment outcome. The sample included 36 patients infected with CRE and two with CRPa. The most common infections were intra-abdominal. Physicians categorized 60.5% of patients as having life-threatening infections. All but two patients received other antibiotics before CAZ-AVI, for a median of 13 days. The median duration of CAZ-AVI treatment was 16 days. Twenty-five patients (65.8%) concurrently received other antibiotics to which their pathogen was nonresistant in vitro Twenty-eight patients (73.7%, 95% confidence interval [CI], 56.9 to 86.6%) experienced clinical and/or microbiological cure. Five patients (20.8%) with documented microbiological cure died, whereas 10 patients (71.4%) with no documented microbiological cure died (P = 0.01). In three-quarters of cases, CAZ-AVI (alone or combined with other antibiotics) cured infections caused by carbapenem-resistant organisms, 95% of which had failed previous therapy. Microbiological cure was associated with improved survival. CAZ-AVI shows promising clinical results for infections for which treatment options are limited.

Tropheryma whipplei endocarditis in Spain: Case reports of 17 prospective cases.

Tropheryma whipplei endocarditis is an uncommon condition with very few series and <90 cases reported in the literature. The aim of the study was to analyze the epidemiological, clinical, and outcome characteristics of 17 cases of T. whipplei endocarditis recruited in our country from a multicentric cohort from 25 Spanish hospitals from the Spanish Collaboration on Endocarditis-Grupo de Apoyo al Manejo de la Endocarditis infecciosa en España.From a total of 3165 cases included in the cohort, 14.2% were diagnosed of blood culture negative endocarditis (BCNE) and 3.5% of these had T. whipplei endocarditis. This condition was more frequent in men. The average age was 60.3 years. Previous cardiac condition was present in 35.3% of the cases. The main clinical manifestation was cardiac failure (76.5%) while fever was only present in the 35.3%. Ecocardiography showed vegetations in 64.7% of patients. Surgery was performed in all but 1 cases and it allowed the diagnosis when molecular assays were performed. A broad range rRNA 16S polymerase chain reaction was used for first instance in all laboratories and different specific targets for T. whipplei were employed for confirmation. A concomitant Whipple disease was diagnosed in 11.9% of patients. All patients received specific antimicrobial treatment for at least 1 year, with no relapse and complete recovery.T. whipplei endocarditis is an uncommon condition with an atypical presentation that must be considered in the diagnosis of BCNE. The prognosis is very good when an appropriate surgical management and antimicrobial-specific treatment is given.

Incidence and clinical impact of infective endocarditis after transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

AIMS: To describe the characteristics of infective endocarditis (IE) after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). METHODS AND RESULTS: This study was performed using the GAMES database, a national prospective registry of consecutive patients with IE in 26 Spanish hospitals. Of the 739 cases of IE diagnosed during the study, 1.3% were post-TAVI IE, and these 10 cases, contributed by five centres, represented 1.1% of the 952 TAVIs performed. Mean age was 80 years. All valves were implanted transfemorally. IE appeared a median of 139 days after implantation. The mean age-adjusted Charlson comorbidity index was 5.45. Chronic kidney disease was frequent (five patients), as were atrial fibrillation (five patients), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (four patients), and ischaemic heart disease (four patients). Six patients presented aortic valve involvement, and four only mitral valve involvement; the latter group had a higher percentage of prosthetic mitral valves (0% vs. 50%). Vegetations were found in seven cases, and four presented embolism. One patient underwent surgery. Five patients died during follow-up: two of these patients died during the admission in which the valve was implanted. CONCLUSIONS: IE is a rare but severe complication after TAVI which affects about 1% of patients and entails a relatively high mortality rate. IE occurred during the first year in nine of the 10 patients.

Current Epidemiology and Outcome of Infective Endocarditis: A Multicenter, Prospective, Cohort Study.

The aim of the study was to describe the epidemiologic and clinical characteristics and identify the risk factors of short-term and 1-year mortality in a recent cohort of patients with infective endocarditis (IE).From January 2008, multidisciplinary teams have prospectively collected all consecutive cases of IE, diagnosed according to the Duke criteria, in 25 Spanish hospitals.Overall, 1804 patients were diagnosed. The median age was 69 years (interquartile range, 55-77), 68.0% were men, and 37.1% of the cases were nosocomial or health care-related IE. Gram-positive microorganisms accounted for 79.3% of the episodes, followed by Gram-negative (5.2%), fungi (2.4%), anaerobes (0.9%), polymicrobial infections (1.9%), and unknown etiology (9.1%). Heart surgery was performed in 44.2%, and in-hospital mortality was 28.8%. Risk factors for in-hospital mortality were age, previous heart surgery, cerebrovascular disease, atrial fibrillation, Staphylococcus or Candida etiology, intracardiac complications, heart failure, and septic shock. The 1-year independent risk factors for mortality were age (odds ratio [OR], 1.02), neoplasia (OR, 2.46), renal insufficiency (OR, 1.59), and heart failure (OR, 4.42). Surgery was an independent protective factor for 1-year mortality (OR, 0.44).IE remains a severe disease with a high rate of in-hospital (28.9%) and 1-year mortality (11.2%). Surgery was the only intervention that significantly reduced 1-year mortality.

Characteristics and Outcome of Streptococcus pneumoniae Endocarditis in the XXI Century: A Systematic Review of 111 Cases (2000-2013).

Streptococcus pneumoniae is an infrequent cause of severe infectious endocarditis (IE). The aim of our study was to describe the epidemiology, clinical and microbiological characteristics, and outcome of a series of cases of S. pneumoniae IE diagnosed in Spain and in a series of cases published since 2000 in the medical literature. We prospectively collected all cases of IE diagnosed in a multicenter cohort of patients from 27 Spanish hospitals (n = 2539). We also performed a systematic review of the literature since 2000 and retrieved all cases with complete clinical data using a pre-established protocol. Predictors of mortality were identified using a logistic regression model. We collected 111 cases of pneumococcal IE: 24 patients from the Spanish cohort and 87 cases from the literature review. Median age was 51 years, and 23 patients (20.7%) were under 15 years. Men accounted for 64% of patients, and infection was community-acquired in 96.4% of cases. The most important underlying conditions were liver disease (27.9%) and immunosuppression (10.8%). A predisposing heart condition was present in only 18 patients (16.2%). Pneumococcal IE affected a native valve in 93.7% of patients. Left-sided endocarditis predominated (aortic valve 53.2% and mitral valve 40.5%). The microbiological diagnosis was obtained from blood cultures in 84.7% of cases. In the Spanish cohort, nonsusceptibility to penicillin was detected in 4.2%. The most common clinical manifestations included fever (71.2%), a new heart murmur (55%), pneumonia (45.9%), meningitis (40.5%), and Austrian syndrome (26.1%). Cardiac surgery was performed in 47.7% of patients. The in-hospital mortality rate was 20.7%. The multivariate analysis revealed the independent risk factors for mortality to be meningitis (OR, 4.3; 95% CI, 1.4-12.9; P < 0.01). Valve surgery was protective (OR, 0.1; 95% CI, 0.04-0.4; P < 0.01). Streptococcus pneumoniae IE is a community-acquired disease that mainly affects native aortic valves. Half of the cases in the present study had concomitant pneumonia, and a considerable number developed meningitis. Mortality was high, mainly in patients with central nervous system (CNS) involvement. Surgery was protective.