Bacterial endocarditis: A retrospective study of cases admitted to the University of Alabama Hospitals from 1969 to 1979

Abstract

A retrospective study was conducted at the University of Alabama in Birmingham Medical Center on patients diagnosed as having BE from the years 1969 to 1979, with emphasis on dental involvement. A major finding of this report revealed that 16 percent of the cases of BE had a history of recent dental care or pathology. Other results of this investigation included the following: (1) Streptococcus viridans was the predominant microorganism associated with BE; (2) the mortality rate relative to predisposing heart disease was highest for patients with prosthetic heart valves; (3) chronic valvular heart disease was the heart problem most susceptible to BE; (4) chronically abscessed teeth and periodontal disease may be initiating factors of BE.