Diagnosing Infective Endocarditis
The presence of a heart murmur is vitally important in diagnosing infective endocarditis. If this symptom is overlooked and a patient goes on to suffer serious complications, there could be a case of medical negligence. Please get in touch with us for more information.
What is infective endocarditis?
Infective endocarditis is an infection of the endocardial surface of the heart. It can develop suddenly (acutely) or more gradually (sub-acutely) where the condition worsens over a period of days or weeks. It causes symptoms such as fever, chills, night sweats, fast heartbeat, heart murmurs, poor appetite and weight loss.
Heart murmur in infective endocarditis
The recent onset of a heart murmur is particularly indicative of infective endocarditis. One study suggests the symptom can be found in up to 85% of patients with infective endocarditis.
Diagnosing infective endocarditis
This means that when a patient presents with the aforementioned symptoms, the attending clinician must consider the possibility of infective endocarditis and listen to the patient's heart with a stethoscope. If a heart murmur can be heard, hospital admission is mandatory. A blood test can confirm a diagnosis, as it will reveal raised inflammatory markers.
Infective endocarditis and a prosthetic heart valve
It is also worth noting that infective endocarditis is more common in people who have had a prosthetic heart valve fitted. Therefore if a patient with a prosthetic heart valve presents with the symptoms described above, any clinician should have infective endocarditis in mind.
Consequences of a delay in diagnosis
If infective endocarditis is left untreated, the risk of death is very high. In fact, only 5% of patients will survive without treatment. This is because infective endocarditis can lead to serious health complications, including heart failure and stroke. The only way to avoid these devastating complications is to provide immediate treatment in the form of intravenous antibiotics. Surgery will also be needed if the patient's heart is damaged.
Infective endocarditis and medical negligence
The presence of a fever and the onset of a new heart murmur are extremely concerning symptoms and should be treated as infective endocarditis until proven otherwise. Given the mortality and morbidity risks associated with the condition, a doctor who fails to refer a patient with the symptoms of infective endocarditis would be falling below the standards of a competent clinician. This is especially true if the patient has a prosthetic heart valve.
Speak to a solicitor
If you or your loved one suffered complications because infective endocarditis was not diagnosed and treated promptly, please get in touch with us today. You could be entitled to compensation.
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