Embolism predictors of infective endocarditis.

The embolic event (EE) increases the morbidity and mortality of infective enclocarditis (IE). Prevalence of EE ranges between 22% and 50%, death rates being up to 25% of patients. EE may occur prior to diagnosis, during treatment or afterwards. The objective of this study was to evaluate the demographic, clinical, microbiological, echocardiographic and therapeutic characteristics in patients suffering from IE (with or without emboli) in order to determine predictors for EE. A descriptive study based on observations of patient population diagnosed with IE was conducted at the Hospital Italiano of La Plata during the period March 1996 - December 2004. Fifty-three patients with IE were analyzed (35 without EE and 18 with EE) in retrospect. We found that the presence of vegetations in the transthoracic (TTE) and/or transesophagic (TEE) echocardiographies at the time of diagnosis, the size 2: 10 mm and the compromise of the native mitral valve were the variables that showed significant statistical association with EE to be considered as predictors. The size : 10 mm was the only variable associated with EE in the logistic regression analysis. During the elective antibiotic treatment, there was a reduction in EE, without their being present from the second week onwards.