HAEMOPHILUS-ENDOCARDITIS - REPORT OF 42 CASES IN ADULTS AND REVIEW

To define the clinical, microbiological, and therapeutic characteristi cs of haemophilus endocarditis, we reviewed the charts of 42 adults wi th haemophilus endocarditis (native valve disease, 37; prosthetic valv e disease, five) who were followed up between 1983 and 1995 in France. The mean duration of symptoms before diagnosis was 34 days. The causa tive Haemophilus species were as follows: H. parainfluenzae (26 adults ), H. aphrophilus (9), H. paraphrophilus (4), and H. influenzae (3). A ccording to the Duke criteria, 38 cases of endocarditis were definitiv e and four were possible. Thirty-nine patients received combination an tibacterial therapy and three received therapy with a beta-lactam agen t alone (mean duration, 46 days). Arterial embolism occurred in 15 pat ients. Cardiac surgery was indicated for 18 patients; 16 of these surg eries were performed within 3 months. Two patients died of heart failu re. In conclusion, haemophilus endocarditis is rare and is mainly due to H. parainfluenzae. Although surgery is often necessary, haemophilus endocarditis has a favorable prognosis.