Infective endocarditis in a tertiary referral hospital: long-term follow up.

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE STUDY: Infective endocarditis (IE) is associated with significant mortality and morbidity. The aim of the present study was to assess the long-term survival of patients with IE, and to assess objectively the mortality in these patients by comparing their survival with that of an age- and gender-matched sample of the general population. METHODS: A retrospective observational cohort study of adults with IE, as determined by the modified Duke criteria, was admitted to a tertiary referral center between January 1998 and December 2007. Cumulative survival was analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method. The log-rank test was used to compare the different groups, and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were carried out to identify predictors of long-term, all-cause mortality. RESULTS: A total of 191 consecutive patients with IE was evaluated (176 left-sided, 15 right-sided). Cardiac surgery was performed in 72% of cases, and the median follow up was 6.3 years. The cumulative long-term survival was 59% after 10 years of follow up, the main causes of death being congestive heart failure (28%) and different type of malignancy (17%). Age- and gender-matched survival in the general population was 98%, 92%, and 80% after follow up periods of one, five, and ten years, respectively. The main predictor of long-term mortality was cancer, while surgery had a positive effect on long-term survival. CONCLUSION: Despite diagnostic and therapeutic advances, IE is associated with a high long-term mortality. Compared to the general Dutch population, the survival of patients with IE was significantly lower. Even in the event of IE being cured, the survival of these patients may be diminished compared to that of the general population. Hence, a careful follow up of these patients is warranted.

Survival of surgically treated infective endocarditis: a comparison with the general Dutch population.

BACKGROUND: Infective endocarditis (IE) remains associated with high in-hospital and long-term mortality. The outcome of patients with IE who are operated on has never been put into perspective by comparing it to the age-matched and gender-matched general population. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the long-term mortality of patients with IE who undergo operation in relation to the age-matched and gender-matched general population. METHODS: A retrospective observational cohort study of 138 patients with IE who underwent consecutive operations (1998-2007) was conducted. Cumulative survival was analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Comparison of patient survival with the general population was done using the Dutch population life table. The standardized mortality ratio was used to assess the degree of late deaths. RESULTS: The observed in-hospital mortality risk was 10.9%. The observed long-term survival was 85% (95% confidence interval, 78% to 90%), 74% (95% confidence interval, 65% to 79%), 71% (95% confidence interval, 62% to 78%) after 1, 5, and 10 years, respectively. Age-matched and gender-matched survival in the general population was 99%, 93%, and 80% after a follow-up period of 1, 5, and 10 years, respectively. The standardized mortality ratio was 0.99 (95% confidence interval, 0.67 to 1.31). CONCLUSIONS: Although mortality of IE patients who have undergone operation remains considerable during the immediate postoperative period, the mortality of hospital survivors is, with increasing follow-up time, comparable with the general population.

Magnetic navigation system assisted stenting of coronary bifurcation lesions.

AIMS: Magnetic guidewire assisted percutaneous coronary interventions (MPCI) could have certain advantages in coronary bifurcation lesions. We aimed to report the angiographic characteristics of the bifurcation lesions, as well as the procedural and clinical outcomes of the MPCI patients. METHODS AND RESULTS: The lesion characteristics and the treatment effect were assessed by performing diagnostic and quantitative coronary angiography with dedicated bifurcation software. A total of 76 patients (age 65 years, 78% male) were assigned to undergo MPCI, in which two-thirds of the lesions were located in LAD/D1. Fifty-seven out of 78 lesions (73%) had a diseased side branch and complex stenting techniques were used in the majority of the lesions (64%). All 59/78 (76%) fenestration attempts were successfully performed and only 13 dedicated bifurcation stents were implanted. The average acute gain in minimal luminal diameter was 1.08±0.81 mm, 0.80±0.70 mm and 0.59±0.56 mm for the proximal, distal and side branch, respectively. The procedural success was 69% with a procedure time of 107±43 minutes, fluoroscopy time of 34±24 minutes and contrast use of 338±136 ml. At a mean of 1.8-years follow-up, 15 patients (20%) had a cardiac event. CONCLUSIONS: MPCI is associated with good angiographic, fenestration and procedural success rates in the treatment of coronary bifurcation lesions.