PROFILE OF HIV PATIENTS WITH AND WITHOUT BACTERIAL-ENDOCARDITIS

Bacterial endocarditis (BE) is a serious medical condition seen in the injecting drug users (IDU) with or without HIV. Studies report a low prevalence of BE in HIV/AIDS patients and the clinical manifestations have been considered non-specific difficulting an early diagnosis. The HIV Registry in our Center has recruited 1500 HIV/AIDS cases since Ma y 1992. We decided to review and compare the clinical and epidemiologi cal variables of patients admitted to the Registry with BE (23 pts) an d without. Fever, sweats and weight loss were seen most frequent in BE patients as well as meningitis and pneumonia. The majority of the pat ients were IDU. Staphylococcus aureus was the most common pathogen. Th e tricuspid valve was the most affected valve. Mild insufficiency was the rule. The mortality in BE patients was higher than in the total gr oup. The triad of IDU, the described constitutional signs and symptoms and coexisting meningitis and/or pneumonia, in the HIV/AIDS patient, should alert the physician to the presence of BE particularly in the o utpatient setting were a more aggressive diagnostic approach should pr obably be attempted.