Etiology Of Endocárditis In The West; Africa and Pakistan A Comparison

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: In the Western literature the organisms causing endocarditis are mainly streptococci of the viridans group followed by staphylococci and enterococci. This seems to be the usual pattern of the etiological gents isolated from cases of bacterial endocarditis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Blood samples were obtained from patients underg oing treatment at the medical Centres in Karachi including the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, and the National Institute of Child Health J.P.M.C., Karachi.26 patients were studied. RESULTS: Table I shows the percentage of bacterial species in the p*sthve patients:N o gram negative organism was isolated in this study of the 18 patients with positive results, 13 patients were infected by gamma hemolytic Streptoc occus viridans giving a percentage of 72.22%. Stap hylococci were isolated in 4 patients (22.22%) and Streptococcus faccalis in 1 (5.55%). DISCUSSION: We can see from the results shown in the table that present study is in agreement to the Western literature in which also Streptococcus viridans predominate followed by Staphylococcal and than Streptococcal faecalis2 , The generally healthy state of the teeth and the rarity of dental manipulation in the Ugandan population may explain the low preval ence of dental source of endocardi tis.