Implantable device-related endocarditis detected by point-of-care echocardiography in a patient with dyspnea and chest pain

Abstract

We describe a case of a 70-year-old man who presented to the emergency department with dyspnea and chest pain. He had history of atrial fibrillation, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, prosthetic mitral valve and pacemaker implantation. He had a sepsis related to multiple bilateral septic emboli pointed out by chest computed tomography scan. Point of care echocardiography showed a pacemaker-related endocarditis with large vegetation on the right ventricular lead. The patient started empiric antibiotic therapy and he was addressed to complete hardware removal.

Keywords

• Point-of-care ultrasound
• emergency department
• septic pulmonary embolism
• pacemaker endocarditis.