heart and blood vessel disorders
Infective Endocarditis
Symptoms of Infective Endocarditis
 usually begins suddenly with a high fever (102° to 104°F [38.9° to 40°C]), fast heart rate (> 100 beats per minute), fatigue, and rapid and extensive heart valve damage causing Symptoms . may cause such symptoms as fatigue, mild fever (99° to 101° F [37.2° to 38.3°C]), a moderately fast heart rate, weight loss, sweating, and a low red blood cell count ( Overview of Anemia ). These symptoms can be subtle and may occur for months before endocarditis results in blockage of an artery or damages heart valves and thus makes the diagnosis clear to doctors. In both acute and subacute bacterial endocarditis, arteries may become blocked if accumulations of bacteria and blood clots on the valves (called vegetations) break loose (becoming emboli), travel through the bloodstream to other parts of the body, and lodge in an artery, blocking it. Sometimes blockage can have serious consequences. Blockage of an artery to the brain can cause a Overview of Stroke , and blockage of an artery to the heart can cause a Heart valves may become perforated and may start to leak (causing Overview of Heart Valve Disorders ) — within a few days. Some people go into shock, and their kidneys and other organs stop functioning (a condition called Other symptoms of acute and subacute bacterial endocarditis may include Chills Joint pain Paleness (pallor) Painful nodules under the skin Confusion Tiny reddish spots that resemble freckles may appear on the skin and in the whites of the eyes. Small streaks of red (called splinter hemorrhages) may appear under the fingernails. These spots and streaks are caused by tiny emboli that have broken off the heart valves. Larger emboli may cause stomach pain, blood in the urine, or pain or numbness in an arm or a leg as well as a Acute Coronary Syndromes (Heart Attack; Myocardial Infarction; Unstable Angina) or a Reddish spots on the palm and finger of the hand can be seen in people who have endocarditis. © Springer Science+Business Media Reddish spots in the white of the eye can be seen in people who have endocarditis. © Springer Science+Business Media Small streaks of red can be seen under the fingernails in people who have infective endocarditis. Image courtesy of CDC/Dr. Thomas F. Sellers via the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Public Health Image Library. may be an acute or subacute infection. Compared with infection of a natural valve, infection of a replacement valve is more likely to spread to the heart muscle at the base of the valve and can loosen the attachment of the valve to the heart. Alternatively, the heart's Normal electrical pathway may be interrupted, resulting in slowing of the heartbeat, which may lead to a sudden loss of consciousness or even death. 