Endocarditis Symptoms/Risk

[debster913]

Hi, all--
Just met with the cardiologist yesterday. The ol' mitral valve's still regurgitating, etc. etc. Same as the last visit.
I've always pre-medicated before Dr. visits and the few minor surgeries I've had, but my cardio warned me of endocarditis dangers. Simply put, if I were to cut myself while slicing veggies for dinner, I'd need to call him ASAP for antibiotics.
Maybe I'm overreacting, but I'm afraid of cutting myself. Even nicking myself shaving worries me.
Have any of you had to be especially careful of cuts because of the possibility of endocarditis?
What are some of the symptoms you've had if you have had VRS due to endocarditis?
I guess I'm just a bit skitterish at the thought of any type of cut. Guess I think I'd develop endocarditis from a simple paper cut.
Thanks in advance for your replies--
Debbie

 

[debster913]

WHOOPS, I meant dental visits not Dr. visits

 

[Wise]

Have any of you had to be especially careful of cuts because of the possibility of endocarditis?

I was only told about the usual, i.e., dental appt. My kitten has gotten me good a few times, but it's been a while since I've cut myself. For some reason I never of thought of this. Hopefully a simple cut isn't that bad, but I really don't know.

Wise

 

[Abbanabba]

I've never heard of getting antibiotics for any sort of cut. From what I've been led to believe, the premedication prior to dental work is because there is a much more direct path for infection from the mouth/gums to the heart because of all that nasty bacteria that lives in our mouths.

I've cut myself on more occassions than I care to remember (took a good portion off the top of my thumb last year) but even when I mentioned I had a heart defect (and asked if I should take antibiotics), they didn't seem to think it was a problem. Mind you, I had a mole removed from just above my hip about 18 months ago and my GP decided it would be best to pre-medicate - just in case - so who knows.

My personal opinion (and, for the record, I'm not a doctor) is that if we take antibiotics for every little thing, when we really NEED it, it runs the risk of not working as well as it should. I'd rather chance the "minor" cuts and grazes to help build up my immune system so if I DO need antibiotics to fight an infection, it will work.

I would think that so long as you treat a cut/wound with an antiseptic solution and keep it clean and covered until it can heal, that the risk of endocardiac infection would be pretty remote. Still - I'm not a cardiologist, so perhaps it's something you should have yours further clarify.

All the best
Anna : )

 

[geebee]

I took antibiotics last year when I had a very deep wound on my finger. However, I do not take them for cat scratches, "everyday" knife cuts, etc. I would be on antibiotics all the time if I did.

 

[KristiinSD]

I take antibiotics for any non-sterile procedure

I take antibiotics for any non-sterile procedure

which was how my son was conceived. The reproductive Fellow wasn't sure if I needed prophalxis before some fertility test, so we went home and made a baby using just the tools we had at home ;-)

I recall that the symptoms of endocarditis are flu-like, but get worse rapidly. I may be wrong, but I don't think it is immediately evident that its impacting your heart...

Kristi
mr
surgery soon?

 

[Lynlw]

Justin had BE

Justin had BE

when he was 11 a pic line and 6 weeks of antibiotics, but luckily his valve was ok. they don't recomend antibiotics after a cut, because it's too late. the only times he got antibiotics were when he got his tooth knocked out by an idiot carrying a snowboard over his shoulder and turned around ad wacked Justin in the face, , the only reason they gave it then, was he had just got the pic line out 2 weeks earlier. and one time he wrecked his bike and had gravle imbedded in his hands and knees, so he got it then.
Actually I was surprised he didn't need any when he broke his arm and had to have surgery to put rods in and then take them out 3 months later. But he had the surgery in the same hospital we went to for his heart (the local ortho wouldn't touch him, with all his heart problems) so we had to go an hour away, but we talked to his cardiologist and he said he didn't need any.
and yes the taking antibiotics all the time made the strep resistent to everything but vanco and gentomycin.
Justin's symptons were fever everyday and he just felt like crap Lyn www.caringbridge.org/nj/justinw

 

[OldManEmu]

I had endocarditis and it took months for the doctors to work out what was wrong with me. I would be treated with oral antibiotics and feel like I was about 90% well and the within about two weeks of finishing the antibiotics I would be regressing back again. It was only on the second set of blood tests that were done was the Strep infection identified. With the Aortic valve I am not sure if the same applies for the Mitral valve, regurgitating valves are more susceptible to endocarditis than stenotic valves. To the symptoms of endocarditis. Night sweets, I have never perspired so much in my life I would wake up several times in the night soaking wet like I had a bucket of water pored over me. I would have to change the bedding. I would also start perspiring profusely when doing any mild exertion even walking up a flight of stairs. Strange thing is I never had a high fever my temperature was never more than 38C even though when I was perspiring I felt incredibly hot . In addition I had joint pain in the spine, shoulders and jaw. I also had a cough when the endocarditis was between treatments of oral antibiotics.
The endocarditis was finally eradicated with 5 weeks of IV antibiotics through a PICC line. The doctors have no idea how I contracted endocarditis I hadn't had dental work or any major cuts. I have been told to medicate for dental work, medical procedures or any major cuts. None of the doctors have been concerned about paper cuts or the normal nicks and scrapes you receive in normal living.

 

[tommy]

My endocarditis crept up on me slowly. Took 2 months before it was flaming. My only symptoms were low grade fever and headaches, although the headaches could have been my work environment.

 

[Curtsmum]

My son had antibiotics when he had a bad fall and cut his nose and eyebrow,we just treat mild cuts as normal.

 

[MelissaM]

The two biggest sources of endocarditis are (viridans) streptococcus and staph. The viridans strep bacterial lives naturally in your mouth/gums, hence the precautions when going to the dentist. Staph seems to be rampant in many hospitals, hence the precautions there. Common cuts may leave you succeptable to infection, but most likely, not exposed to strep or stap (unless you are virulently sucking on your cut, perhaps).

Bottom line: Don't worry too much about little everyday cuts.

 

[ClickerTicker]

My story is much the same as OldManEmu - sweating buckets during the night. Also had episodes of uncontrollable shivering, even on a hot day. In fact it was only because I had a really severe shivering fit on a hot day when a group of us were having a lunch outside that I was eventually diagnosed - there were two doctors amongst us.
It's easily detected if the right blood test is done, but it took a while before that was recommended.
Certainly well and truly knackered my mitral valve which, like Debbie's, was probably repairable prior to the endocarditis.

Have just come back from our local general hospital after some dental stuff - the other downside of an MVR and endocarditis is that you tick every box in the "high risk to dentist's insurance" categories. I can only get invasive procedures such a hygenist cleaning by having intravenous antibiotic cover at the hospital (even with its high risk of MRSA).
My dental consultant there says that the guidelines on antibiotic cover are currently under review, and that it's likely that oral antibiotic cover may be approved within the next year. Apparently there's more risk from patients having an allergic reaction to the the IV antibiotic than the risk of catching anything from the procedure. We also had a bit of discussion about whether endocarditis patients should floss - seems to be a line of thought that it can do more harm than good by stirring things up.
What fun...
I don't worry about minor cuts, am always scratching myself on brambles, cutting myself through being silly etc. I do take my temperature every day to try to detect any unexplained temperature rises - apparently that's another potential indicator. Oh, and I always wash my hands carefully after going anywhere near our hospital - but that's really really adviseable, valve problems or not...

 

[JohnnyV_46]

I had been treated about a week before my Heart attack for "Swimmers Ear" in my right ear. While we were in the hospital, the doctors were asking my history and I happened to mention the ear. They had the ENT specialist come in and he cultured my ear. I woke up in ICU after my AVR and coronary by-pass to find out I had been quarantined because the ear tested positive for Staph. They scared the heck out of me...Well they put me on anti-biotics and told me it was no problem that they just didn't want to spread it to their other patients. They decided to send me home 4 days after my surgery and they installed a pic line for Home Health to give me IV therapy at home. Some how the Pic line got infected and I ended up back in the Hospital for another week. It's been 3 weeks today since my Surgery!...time flys when you're having fun!

 

[debster913]

Thanks to all of you for your replies. Clarified with the cardio, and he said only to call him up for MAJOR cuts (really deep, really nasty ones). I'm a klutz anyway and I'm always scraping and/or cutting myself. Just gave myself a paper cut today passing out papers to my students.
But... just call me a worrywart.
Thanks again for the info and support!
Debbie

 

[Natanni]

Bacterial Endocarditis

Bacterial Endocarditis

My husband's blood cultures just came back as being negative from treating bacterial endocariditis for 5 wks with Rocephin via a PICC line. We really don't know exactly how he got it, but it is suspected by his docs that it came from his cardiac cath he had in June. We were told that in order to get BE, it usually requires a deep venus puncture lasting usually longer than 45 minutes. However, they also told us that if ever we feel strange about some abraison or procedure, take your antibiotics. We brought them down to take before this cath, but they said not to bother, and that it is not protocol to treat bicuspid valve patients with propholactic antiobiotics. You can bet my husband will if ever he needs another cath. They did had a terrible time with his and maybe that had something to do with it. He had 5 puncture wounds, and were never able to access the vein, only the artery. Over the next 5 weeks, he felt wiped, headaches that were increasing in frequency, vision didn't seem very good and then came the sweats with big time shakes. Most odd was this roaming muscle pain, in one specific area one day and somewhere else the next.

 

[tantenay]

Be

Be

I developed sub-acute Bacterial Endocarditis (strepA) for unknown reasons. I was 43 at the time, and had gone to my doctor about six weeks before it was diagnosed, for severe palpitations. He refered me to a cardiologist who did an ekg, then suggested I have an echo because I was having many PVCs. He told me a later and said all my valves leaked, but the aortic most. Just said to take antibiotics. I was hospitalized a month later. I think he thought I was just out of shape.

For a year I was so hot all the time! I started losing weight (the best part about it!) and frequently went to bed shivering - my husband would pile 2-3 blankets on me to no avail. I live in Houston, so it's pretty warm here. Finally, I stopped eating at all and had 2 nightly episodes of hard, shaking chills, went back to my regular doctor and he did a sed rate and referred me to an infectious disease specialist. Finally got the diagnosis. Nobody knew how I had gotten it, but suspected I had chronic kidney infection.

I was told just to take antibiotics just for dental or certain med procedures. Also, to come right in if I get sinus infections etc.