A case of acute infective endocarditis and septic shock

Abstract

Infective endocarditis (IE) marks an increasing morbidity and unchanged mortality despite advances in its diagnosis and treatment. In about 20% of IE cases are acute, with signs of sepsis and septic shock. Septic shock dramatically worsens prognosis and is an independent predictor of in – hospital death. Timely diagnosis and urgent surgical intervention can improve survival in these patients. We present a case of a 47-year-old man, with no history of past or concomitant diseases, who was admitted as an emergency to the Cardiology Intensive Care Unit, during the COVID-19 pandemic, with pronounced febrile-intoxication syndrome, shortness of breath, precordial discomfort and pain, cough, haemoptysis. From laboratory studies with a pronounced infl ammatory constellation, troponin I and D-dimers are also increased. This case shows the diffi culties in the diagnosis of acute IE, the specifi cs in the clinical course of the disease, as well as the importance of urgent surgical intervention to improve survival.

Keywords

• acute infective endocarditis
• septic shock
• early