Background: This study aims to evaluate the clinical, echocardiographic, and microbiological profile and in-hospital complication and mortality rates of infective endocarditis cases in the tertiary setting.

Methods: A total of 210 consecutive cases (138 males, 72 females; mean age 48.8±17.9 years; range, 18 to 89 years) who were diagnosed with definite infective endocarditis based on the modified Duke criteria and treated between September 2000 and September 2015 were retrospectively analyzed.

Results: The rate of prosthetic valve infective endocarditis was 12.3%. Rheumatic heart disease was the most common predisposing factor (20.5%). Transthoracic and/or transesophageal echocardiography showed a vegetation in 174 cases (82.9%). Causative microorganisms were identified in 119 cases (56.7%) as Staphylococci (30.5%), Streptococci (15.2%), and Enterococci (7.6%). Cultures were negative in 91 cases (43.3%). Surgical therapy was necessary in 111 cases (53%). Twenty-four percent of cases had a total recovery with appropriate antibiotheraphy without needing any surgical procedures. The most common complications were septic embolism (25.2%) and congestive heart failure (13.4%). In-hospital mortality occurred in 41 cases (19.5%).

Conclusion: Our study results show that infective endocarditis is still associated with high in-hospital mortality and morbidity rates.

Keywords : Blood culture; epidemiology; infective endocarditis; rheumatic heart disease; vegetation