Successfully treated infective endocarditis caused by methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus Aureusin extremely low birth weight infant

Abstract

Survival rates of preterm infants have improved in the past few decades, and central venous catheters play an important role in the intensive medical treatment of these neonates. Unfortunately, these indwelling catheters increase the risk of intracardiac thrombosis, and they provide a nidus for microorganisms during the course of septicemia. Herein, we report a case of persistent bacteremia due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in an extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infant, along with vegetation observed on an echocardiogram, the findings which are compatible with a diagnosis of endocarditis. The endocarditis was successfully treated with antibiotic therapy, and the patient recovered without major complications. We suggest a surveillance echocardiogram for ELBW infants within a few days of birth, with regular follow-up studies when clinical signs of sepsis are observed.

A Cardiac Mass in a Neonate

“…Although a peripherally inserted central catheter or Broviac should ideally be positioned at the junction of the inferior vena cava and the right atrium, the subsequent development of an intracardiac thrombus, specifically in the right atrium, is a well-documented complication. 1 , 2 The central venous catheter (CVC) produces endocardial damage that becomes the nidus for thrombosis and nonbacterial endocarditis, which, subsequently, can become infected. The mass poses a risk for obstruction leading to heart failure or the superior vena cava syndrome, as well as pulmonary embolization, septic embolization, or paradoxical embolism, all of which can be fatal.…”