cefotaxime and Heart-Valve-Diseases

Cardiobacterium valvarum, a fastidious Gram-negative bacterium, was detected in the aortic valve of a previously healthy 63-year-old man by broad-range PCR and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. In contrast to the patients in five previously published cases, our patient had neither a congenital bicuspid nor a prosthetic aortic valve. Here, we present a case of C. valvarum native tricuspid aortic valve infective endocarditis and a review of the literature.

Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Aortic Valve; Cardiobacterium; Cefotaxime; Endocarditis, Bacterial; Gentamicins; Heart Valve Diseases; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Polymerase Chain Reaction

Infection by Citrobacter appears in man only in certain circumstances, since it usually acts as contaminant or colonizer. Bacteraemia by this bacillus can affect immunodeficient people, elderly people or those patients who have undergone invasive hospital processes. Although incidence of bacteraemia is low (0.3-0.9%), the death rate is very high, about 48%. This bacillus is seldom the cause of endocarditis. That is why we describe a case of endocarditis by Citrobacter freundii, in an aged person with previous valvulopathy.

Topics: Aged; Aortic Valve; Cefotaxime; Cephalosporins; Citrobacter freundii; Endocarditis, Bacterial; Enterobacteriaceae Infections; Heart Valve Diseases; Humans; Male; Mitral Valve

Due to changes of humoral immunity, patients with rheumatic heart disease present, even before the operation, a high-risk group with regard to the development of infectious complications. Contamination of intraoperative material was revealed in 61.7% of cases during the operation. Extracorporeal circulation increases the cefotaxime half-life period which is in direct proportional dependence of the period of time between the beginning of the administration of the agent and the beginning of extracorporeal circulation. Immunocorrection by means of myelopid in the early postoperative period accelerates restoration of cellular and humoral immunity, and reduces the frequency of pneumonia occurrence and suppuration of the postoperative wound. Therefore, the prevention of infectious complications after operations on an open heart should be complex and should include broad-spectrum antibiotics and immunocorrective therapy.

Topics: Activins; Adjuvants, Immunologic; Adolescent; Adult; B-Lymphocytes; Bacterial Infections; Cefotaxime; Extracorporeal Circulation; Heart Valve Diseases; Humans; Intraoperative Complications; Middle Aged; Oligopeptides; Peptides; Pneumonia; Postoperative Care; Rheumatic Heart Disease; Risk Factors; Surgical Wound Infection; T-Lymphocytes

Cefotaxime has little antimicrobial activity in vitro against most strains of enterococci, as measured by conventional MICs and MBCs. However, the MICs of cefotaxime against many enterococci are markedly reduced by the addition of serum to the test medium. To assess the relevance of this observation in vivo, we examined the efficacy of cefotaxime in experimental Streptococcus faecalis endocarditis. Since response to antimicrobial agents may vary with the degree of vegetation development, therapeutic efficacy was assessed both in rabbits with newly formed vegetations and in rabbits with well-developed endocardial lesions. Peak serum levels of cefotaxime (50.1 +/- 20.0 micrograms/ml) exceeded the MIC in medium supplemented with serum (4 micrograms/ml), but not in Mueller-Hinton broth alone (greater than 64 micrograms/ml). After 4 days of therapy, animals with newly formed lesions (therapy initiated 1 h after infection, transvalvular catheters removed) had lower mean vegetation bacterial titers than did untreated controls. Among animals with mature vegetations (therapy initiated 12 h after infection, catheters indwelling), the rate of mortality was significantly reduced by cefotaxime therapy. However, no difference in vegetation titers was observed. Thus, cefotaxime demonstrated antienterococcal activity within newly formed vegetations, but did not inhibit bacterial proliferation within well-established vegetations.

Topics: Animals; Cefotaxime; Endocarditis, Bacterial; Enterococcus faecalis; Heart Valve Diseases; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Rabbits; Streptococcal Infections