Diseases (Sep 2023)

Rare Case of <i>Raoultella planticola</i> Infective Endocarditis after Mitral Valve Replacement Surgery

  • Diana Roxana Opriș,
  • Victor Vacariu,
  • Alexandru Petru Ion,
  • Timea Szigyarto,
  • Emil Marian Arbănași,
  • Eliza Russu,
  • Maria Mihaela Opriș

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/diseases11040133
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 11, no. 4
p. 133

Abstract

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Infective endocarditis remains a condition associated with high morbidity and mortality, regardless of advances in diagnosis and therapeutics. The etiology, microbiology, and epidemiology of infective endocarditis have changed in the last years, with healthcare-associated infective endocarditis being responsible for a myriad of cases. Raoultella planticola is rarely the cause of infective endocarditis. We present a 72-year-old Caucasian female with a history of mitral valve replacement for rheumatic valve disease two months before the current presentation, without any immunosuppressive pathologies, diagnosed with Raoultella planticola infective endocarditis. Long-drawn antibiotic treatment led to a full recovery with no evidence of recurrence or relapse. This report highlights the importance of a multimodal approach for the diagnosis of bacterial etiology, the importance of selection and duration of an appropriate antibiotic regimen, and the presence of a rare opportunistic bacteria that has proven pathogenicity in a wide range of organ systems, usually in patients with several risk factors.

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