Isolated Pulmonary Valve Endocarditis Caused by <i>Enterococcus faecalis</i>—Facing the Unpredictable
<b>Background:</b> Infective endocarditis is a severe, life-threatening condition which affects the endocardial lining of the heart. Right-sided IE typically affects the tricuspid valve and, less commonly, the pulmonary valve, often in association with intravenous drug use and intracardi...
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MDPI AG
2025-02-01
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| author | Andrei Vâţă Isabela Ioana Loghin Radu Ștefan Miftode Daniela Crişu Cătălina Mihaela Luca Alin Mihai Vasilescu Ioana Maria Onofrei Tudorița Parângă Ionela-Larisa Miftode |
| author_facet | Andrei Vâţă Isabela Ioana Loghin Radu Ștefan Miftode Daniela Crişu Cătălina Mihaela Luca Alin Mihai Vasilescu Ioana Maria Onofrei Tudorița Parângă Ionela-Larisa Miftode |
| author_sort | Andrei Vâţă |
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| description | <b>Background:</b> Infective endocarditis is a severe, life-threatening condition which affects the endocardial lining of the heart. Right-sided IE typically affects the tricuspid valve and, less commonly, the pulmonary valve, often in association with intravenous drug use and intracardiac devices. <i>Enterococcus faecalis</i>, a significant pathogen in healthcare settings, is frequently resistant to several antibiotics, complicating treatment. <b>Results:</b> We present the case of a 69-year-old man diagnosed with isolated pulmonary valve endocarditis, with no identifiable risk factors, good oral hygiene, and no recent dental procedures. In our case, the <i>E. faecalis</i> strain, initially susceptible to ampicillin, acquired resistance during high-dose ampicillin and gentamicin therapy, leading to cardiac surgery and prolonged antibiotic treatment. <b>Conclusions:</b> IPE is rare, emphasizing the need for heightened clinical awareness and thorough diagnostic evaluation, especially in patients with endocarditis symptoms and known risk factors. Although ampicillin resistance in <i>E. faecalis</i> is uncommon, its emergence during treatment presents a challenge, necessitating careful antibiotic stewardship to improve outcomes. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-498e937b68b84f6faeba657d1412614d |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2079-6382 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Antibiotics |
| spelling | doaj-art-498e937b68b84f6faeba657d1412614d2025-08-20T02:11:25ZengMDPI AGAntibiotics2079-63822025-02-0114322010.3390/antibiotics14030220Isolated Pulmonary Valve Endocarditis Caused by <i>Enterococcus faecalis</i>—Facing the UnpredictableAndrei Vâţă0Isabela Ioana Loghin1Radu Ștefan Miftode2Daniela Crişu3Cătălina Mihaela Luca4Alin Mihai Vasilescu5Ioana Maria Onofrei6Tudorița Parângă7Ionela-Larisa Miftode8Department of Infectious Diseases, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iași, RomaniaDepartment of Infectious Diseases, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iași, RomaniaDepartment of Cardiology, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iași, RomaniaDepartment of Cardiology, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iași, RomaniaDepartment of Infectious Diseases, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iași, Romania“St Spiridon” Emergency Hospital, 700115 Iași, RomaniaDepartment of Infectious Diseases, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iași, RomaniaDepartment of Infectious Diseases, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iași, RomaniaDepartment of Infectious Diseases, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iași, Romania<b>Background:</b> Infective endocarditis is a severe, life-threatening condition which affects the endocardial lining of the heart. Right-sided IE typically affects the tricuspid valve and, less commonly, the pulmonary valve, often in association with intravenous drug use and intracardiac devices. <i>Enterococcus faecalis</i>, a significant pathogen in healthcare settings, is frequently resistant to several antibiotics, complicating treatment. <b>Results:</b> We present the case of a 69-year-old man diagnosed with isolated pulmonary valve endocarditis, with no identifiable risk factors, good oral hygiene, and no recent dental procedures. In our case, the <i>E. faecalis</i> strain, initially susceptible to ampicillin, acquired resistance during high-dose ampicillin and gentamicin therapy, leading to cardiac surgery and prolonged antibiotic treatment. <b>Conclusions:</b> IPE is rare, emphasizing the need for heightened clinical awareness and thorough diagnostic evaluation, especially in patients with endocarditis symptoms and known risk factors. Although ampicillin resistance in <i>E. faecalis</i> is uncommon, its emergence during treatment presents a challenge, necessitating careful antibiotic stewardship to improve outcomes.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6382/14/3/220infective endocarditis<i>Enterococcus faecalis</i>antibiotic resistance |
| spellingShingle | Andrei Vâţă Isabela Ioana Loghin Radu Ștefan Miftode Daniela Crişu Cătălina Mihaela Luca Alin Mihai Vasilescu Ioana Maria Onofrei Tudorița Parângă Ionela-Larisa Miftode Isolated Pulmonary Valve Endocarditis Caused by <i>Enterococcus faecalis</i>—Facing the Unpredictable Antibiotics infective endocarditis <i>Enterococcus faecalis</i> antibiotic resistance |
| title | Isolated Pulmonary Valve Endocarditis Caused by <i>Enterococcus faecalis</i>—Facing the Unpredictable |
| title_full | Isolated Pulmonary Valve Endocarditis Caused by <i>Enterococcus faecalis</i>—Facing the Unpredictable |
| title_fullStr | Isolated Pulmonary Valve Endocarditis Caused by <i>Enterococcus faecalis</i>—Facing the Unpredictable |
| title_full_unstemmed | Isolated Pulmonary Valve Endocarditis Caused by <i>Enterococcus faecalis</i>—Facing the Unpredictable |
| title_short | Isolated Pulmonary Valve Endocarditis Caused by <i>Enterococcus faecalis</i>—Facing the Unpredictable |
| title_sort | isolated pulmonary valve endocarditis caused by i enterococcus faecalis i facing the unpredictable |
| topic | infective endocarditis <i>Enterococcus faecalis</i> antibiotic resistance |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6382/14/3/220 |
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