To PAM, re: endocarditis question

[kenkeith]

QUOTE: Pam
"......A few days ago, they found endocarditis, and said they need to replace the mitral valve. Our quandary is, should we chance the operation, as he still has fevers from the MRSA, goes up and down. Would he be able to sustain an operation of this magnitude. The doctors put it all in my court, telling me it is risky; but, also risky if I don't. What I need to know is how risky is it??!!

Could someone please help me with this,as time is definitely of the essence!! Thanking you in advance for all and any help you can give me with this!! "
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Answer:
For some perspective if left untreated, endocarditis can damage your heart valves and permanently destroy your heart's inner lining. This can cause your heart to work harder to pump blood eventually causing heart failure — a chronic condition in which your heart is unable to pump enough blood to meet your body's needs. If the infection progresses untreated, it's usually fatal.

The usual protocol are high doses of intravenous antibiotics in the hospital. Blood tests may help identify the type of microorganism that's infecting your heart. Your doctor shoould be able to choose the best antibiotic or combination of antibiotics to fight the infection depending on the type microorganism.

Hasn't the doctor attempted to clear up the infection with antibiotics?  It appears treatment is done in a hospital setting and your husband may need to take antibiotics for two to six weeks to clear up the infection. Once your fever and the worst of your signs and symptoms have passed, your husband may be able to leave the hospital and continue antibiotic therapy in an outpatient setting. He will  need to see his  doctor regularly to make sure your treatment is working.

If the infection damages your heart valves, you may have symptoms and complications for years after treatment. Sometimes surgery is needed to treat persistent infections or replace a damaged valve.  That may be the only option if antibiotics and other medication fail to clear the infection.

Take care,

[kenkeith]

Your welcome, and sorry for the infection predicament and, yes, unfortunately a hospital environment does easily pass on infections to the most vulnerable.  Take care and good luck.

[PAMI1019]

Thnk you so much Ken, somehow I knew you would be the ideal candidate for my persistent quesitoning..lol..as I mentioned he has MRSA, which caused the infectious endocarditis, along with his underlying conditiion of advanced emphysema and dilated cardiomyopathy. Yesterday, Wednesday, his bp went down and his heart stopped for 3 to 4 min. They did compressions with meds and brought him back. The ICU director says he doen't think the operation is an option now, due to his weakened condition. It's really crazy how these infections migrate in these hospitals!! While in there, he also caught VRE, which is in the urine, a yeast infection, somehow they don't seem as concerned about that one, though.

Thanks so much for your quick response, after reading some of your comments to others, I said, hmmm, Ken seems like the right guy to target, and would probably be the right candidate for my barrage.,.again, thanks so much for your time.

Appreciatively,

Pam