The condition where the inner lining of the heart’s valves and chambers experience inflammation due to infection is called endocarditis.
It is mandatory to know that this condition is life-threatening and thus requires a prompt treatment, so that any further complications can be prevented.
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Any condition requires a proper intake of medications to prevent it from getting worse and if it is serious like the endocarditis, then it is needless to say that medications are the only factor that the patient can resort to.
This blog post will walk you through the medications that have to be taken for endocarditis.
Introduction Endocarditis Treatment
- Endocarditis occurs when the germs from any other part of the body get attached to the areas of the heart that are damaged and these germs travel via blood to the heart. The main causal factor of this infection is bacteria.
- There are various symptoms like fever, fatigue, night sweats and muscle pain that would indicate the onset of endocarditis. However, it is important to understand that the symptoms vary from person to person and also according to the severity of the infections.
- The infections are usually diagnosed through the blood test which will provide the doctor with the information of the presence of bacteria and fungi. There are also other ways to diagnose endocarditis like Electrocardiogram, Transthoracic echocardiogram, Transoesophageal echocardiogram and chest X-Ray.
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- In most cases, the antibiotics will serve as a treatment option, though severe infections would call for a surgery. Because prolonged infection would have severely damaged the heart valves and can put the patient’s life under threat.
Antibiotics for the Cure
- When the infection is induced by the presence of bacteria, in such cases the intravenous antibiotic therapy would prove to be sufficient for a complete cure from the clutches of the dreadful infection. This is a super helpful method to ensure that the required medicine is delivered to the necessary part of the heart as soon as possible.
- Though initially a broad spectrum of antibiotics is given to the patient, after the identification of the specific organism that causes the infection, the medicines are adjusted accordingly by the concerned doctor.
- The selection of the targeted antibiotics depends upon various factors like antibiotic spectrum, tissue penetration and adverse effect profile.
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- The commonly prescribed antibiotics for this condition by the experts include gentamicin, vancomycin and Linezolid. These are usually given during the empirical therapy, which is the period when the causative agent is not yet identified.
Treatment of Endocarditis
- There are three main types of surgeries that are performed as a cure for endocarditis which are – valve replacement in the heart with prosthetic valves, the repair of the heart valve that is damaged and sometimes there are fistulas that are developed in the heart valves and the third type of surgery is to repair these fistulas.
- If surgery is performed, then the chances of the patient not facing any long-term health issues is higher. The people with severe infections in their heart valves find this as the only hope.
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- If the patient has any chronic medical condition or if the patient is a little old and has a very weak body condition, then the experts recommend not to undergo any major surgery as it can put his/her life in danger.
- The doctors would first ask the patient to undergo a blood serology test to identify the type of bacteria that has affected the heart valves and then decide if it is right for her/him to undergo the surgery. Their medical history will also be thoroughly checked before deciding on the same.
Duration of the treatment
As discussed, there are several factors which can influence the duration of the treatment as well as the medication of the patients of the endocarditis.
If the antibiotics are prescribed by the doctors, then the patient would have to intake them until their health comes back to form.
However, if it is surgery that the patient undergoes, the duration of the treatment would depend if there is any valve involvement in the surgical procedure and the type of the surgery. If any prosthetic valves are attached, then the treatment will go longer than expected.
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On the other hand, if the patient’s body did not react well to the surgical procedure, this will also drag the treatment process. So, it completely depends on the type of treatment as well as the intensity of the infection.
Conclusion
Therefore, endocarditis is not a condition that can be taken so light-heartedly. It has to be scrutinized from the time its presence is known and then proper care should be taken to avoid any further complications.
So, to be precise, the role played by medications in these cases is tremendous. Close monitoring, along with proper intake of the medicines will definitely be helpful to the patients.
