Abstract
Background
Infective endocarditis (IE) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality among persons who inject drugs (PWID) and rates have increased during the current opioid epidemic. Severe cases may require valve replacement surgery (VRS). These patients are typically younger with fewer comorbidities than those who undergo VRS for other indications. This study was designed to examine the prognosis for these cases.
Methods
The University of Vermont Medical Center is a 562-bed academic medical center. A retrospective cohort included all cases of IE among PWID who underwent VRS between November, 2009 and December, 2015. The cohort intentionally included surgeries performed prior to 2016 in order to provide sufficient follow-up time. Outcomes included survival, readmission, complications, adherence to follow-up, length of stay, rate of repeat VRS, microbiology, and recurrent bloodstream infections.
Results
The cohort included 31 patients. 80% were male and the median age was 31. The valves replaced or repaired included 18 aortic, 10 mitral, 9 tricuspid, and 1 pulmonic (7 patients had two valves involved). Organisms included Staphylococcus aureus (48%), Streptococcus spp. (22%), and Enterococcus (13%). The median length of stay for the index admission was 35 days. To date, at least 38% of the cohort has died. The median survival for those who died was 337 days (0–2,224). Adherence with initial outpatient follow-up visit was only 50%, with others either canceling or missing appointments. 39% followed up with infectious diseases and 39% with cardiothoracic surgery. 29% never followed up. The readmission rate was 51%, and 22% of the cohort was readmitted more than three times. 48% had a repeat bloodstream infection, 73% of which were with a different organism than the index infection. The rate of repeat VRS was 31%.
Conclusion
Our observational data reveal a high mortality rate with poor adherence to follow-up and a high rate of readmission among this rural cohort of PWID who have VRS for IE. The major limitation of this work is the passive follow-up from the medical record. The high mortality and morbidity of this disease suggests that more intensive, multispecialty post-operative care is needed for PWID who are treated surgically.
Disclosures
All authors: No reported disclosures.
Session: 37. Bacteremia, CLABSI, and Endovascular Infections
Thursday, October 3, 2019: 12:15 PM