The diagnostic benefit of 16S rDNA PCR examination of infective endocarditis heart valves: a cohort study of 146 surgical cases confirmed by histopathology.

ABSTRACT:

Aims

Upon suspicion of infective endocarditis, the causative microorganism must be identified to optimize treatment. Blood cultures and culturing of removed valves are the mainstay of this diagnosis and should be complemented by growth-independent methods. We assessed the diagnostic benefit of examining removed endocarditis valves by broad-range bacterial PCR to detect causative bacteria in cases where culturing was not available, negative, or inconclusive because a skin commensal was detected, in patients from our clinical routine practice.

Methods and results

Patients from Heidelberg University Hospital with suspicion of endocarditis, followed by valve replacement and analysis by 16S rDNA PCR, between 2015 and 2018, were evaluated. 146 patients with definite infective endo

SUBMITTER: Armstrong C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7906935 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature