Table 1.
Patient characteristics (n = 119).
| Parameters, n (%) | All Patients (n = 119) |
Early (1–7 Days) (n = 40) |
Intermediate (8–21 Days) (n = 35) |
Late (>22 Days) (n = 44) |
p-Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (mean, years ± SD) | 61.0 ± 14.7 | 57.5 ± 17.3 | 62.5 ± 14.3 | 62.9 ± 12.1 | 0.358 |
| Male gender | 78 (65.5%) | 24 (60.0%) | 26 (74.3%) | 28 (63.6%) | 0.407 |
| AV endocarditis | 68 (57.1%) | 28 (70.0%) | 22 (62.9%) | 18 (40.9%) | 0.019 * |
| MV endocarditis | 67 (56.3%) | 20 (50.0%) | 18 (51.4%) | 29 (65.9%) | 0.268 |
| TV endocarditis | 2 (1.7%) | 1 (2.5%) | 1 (2.9%) | - | 0.530 |
| Prev. cardiac surgery | 33 (27.7%) | 6 (15.0%) | 17 (48.6%) | 10 (22.7%) | 0.003 * |
| PVE | 30 (25.2%) | 5 (12.5%) | 16 (45.7%) | 9 (20.5%) | 0.003 * |
| Smoking history | 23 (19.3%) | 9 (22.5%) | 3 (8.6%) | 11 (25.0%) | 0.152 |
| Coronary artery disease | 29 (24.4%) | 7 (17.5%) | 9 (25.7%) | 13 (29.6%) | 0.399 |
| Arterial hypertension | 73 (61.3%) | 21 (52.5%) | 24 (68.6%) | 28 (63.6%) | 0.335 |
| Pulmonal hypertension | 8 (6.7%) | 2 (5.0%) | 2 (5.7%) | 2 (4.6%) | 0.815 |
| Diabetes mellitus | 25 (21.0%) | 6 (15.0%) | 9 (25.7%) | 10 (22.7%) | 0.493 |
| Hyperlipoproteinemia | 36 (30.3%) | 11 (27.5%) | 12 (34.3%) | 13 (29.6%) | 0.809 |
| Obesity | 23 (19.3%) | 4 (10.0%) | 8 (22.9%) | 11 (25.0%) | 0.181 |
| Peripheral artery disease | 8 (6.7%) | 2 (5.0%) | 5 (14.3%) | 1 (2.3%) | 0.132 |
| Splenomegaly | 13 (10.9%) | 3 (7.5%) | 4 (11.4%) | 6 (13.6%) | 0.708 |
| LVEF < 35% | 10 (8.4%) | 3 (7.5%) | 4 (11.4%) | 3 (6.8%) | 0.772 |
| Renal insufficiency | 42 (35.3%) | 16 (40.0%) | 13 (37.1%) | 13 (29.6%) | 0.584 |
| Dialysis dependent | 6 (5.0%) | 2 (5.0%) | 3 (8.6%) | 1 (2.3%) | 0.438 |
| COPD | 13 (10.9%) | 4 (10.0%) | 3 (8.6%) | 6 (13.6%) | 0.814 |
| Cerebral embolism | |||||
| Ischemic stroke | 79 (66.4%) | 31 (77.5%) | 22 (62.9%) | 26 (59.1%) | 0.177 |
| Haemorrhagic stroke | 29 (24.4%) | 4 (10.0%) | 8 (22.9%) | 17 (38.6%) | 0.009 * |
| Non-isch./-haemorrhagic | 11 (9.2%) | 5 (12.5%) | 5 (14.3%) | 1 (2.3%) | 0.103 |
| Prev. mechanical vent. | 20 (16.8%) | 7 (17.5%) | 7 (20.0%) | 6 (13.6%) | 0.746 |
| Preop. acute neurology | 85 (71.4%) | 23 (57.5%) | 27 (77.1%) | 35 (79.6%) | 0.055 |
| Causative pathogens | |||||
| Staphylococcus spp. | 50 (42.0%) | 19 (47.5%) | 15 (42.9%) | 16 (36.4%) | 0.582 |
| Streptococccus spp. | 22 (18.5%) | 8 (20.0%) | 5 (14.3%) | 9 (20.5%) | 0.747 |
| Enterococcus spp. | 16 (13.5%) | 4 (10.0%) | 7 (20.0%) | 5 (11.4%) | 0.439 |
| Other | 5 (4.2%) | - | - | 5 (11.4%) | 0.011 * |
CABG = coronary artery bypass graft; PM = pacemaker; HLM = heart lung machine; IQR = interquartile range; ICU = intensive care unit; COPD = chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; LVEF = left ventricular ejection fraction; AV = aortic valve; MV = mitral valve; TV = tricuspid valve; SD = standard deviation (* = statistically significant).