TY - JOUR

T1 - Echocardiographic Findings Suggestive of Infective Endocarditis in Asymptomatic Danish Injection Drug Users Attending Urban Injection Facilities

AU - Axelsson, Anna

AU - Søholm, Helle

AU - Dalsgaard, Morten

AU - Helweg-Larsen, Jannik

AU - Ihlemann, Nikolaj

AU - Bundgaard, Henning

AU - Køber, Lars

AU - Iversen, Kasper

N1 - Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

PY - 2014/7/1

Y1 - 2014/7/1

N2 - Injection drug users (IDUs) account for a considerable number of the hospitalizations for infective endocarditis (IE), but the prevalence of diagnosed and unrecognized IE in IDUs is unknown. The aim of the present study was to assess the prevalence of valvular abnormalities suggestive of IE in IDUs attending a supervised injection facility. We performed transthoracic echocardiographic examinations on-site in the injection facilities. A total of 206 IDUs (mean age 43 ± 9 years, 23% women) with a median injection drug abuse of 18 years (interquartile range 10 to 26) were included. Fourteen IDUs (14 of 206, 7%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 4% to 11%) had a previous history of IE. IDUs with a history of IE were significantly older than IDUs without a history of IE (48 ± 8 vs 42 ± 9 years, respectively, p = 0.03) and had a longer duration of injection drug use (27 [18 to 36] vs 17 years [10 to 25], p = 0.008). In the subgroup of IDUs with a history of IE, 4 subjects (4 of 14, 29%, 95% CI 11% to 55%) had persistent or relapse vegetations. Of the remaining 10 IDUs with a history of IE, 5 (5 of 10, 50%, 95% CI 24% to 76%) had moderate-to-severe regurgitation. In the subgroup of IDUs without a history of IE, vegetations were seen in 9 subjects (9 of 192, 5%, 95% CI 2% to 9%). This group of IDUs with possibly unrecognized IE was older than IDUs without vegetations (48 ± 12 vs 42 ± 9, respectively, p = 0.04). Among the IDUs without a history of IE who did not have vegetations, 30 IDUs (30 of 183, 16%, 95% CI 11% to 22%) had moderate-to-severe regurgitation with or without concomitant thickening of leaflets. Thus, in IDUs without a history of IE, some extent of valvular abnormalities was seen in 20% (39 of 192, 95% CI 15% to 27%) of subjects. None of the IDUs with valvular vegetations had current symptoms consistent with active IE. In conclusion, valvular abnormalities assessed by echocardiography were prevalent in asymptomatic IDUs without a medical history of IE, and vegetations were seen in 5% of subjects.

AB - Injection drug users (IDUs) account for a considerable number of the hospitalizations for infective endocarditis (IE), but the prevalence of diagnosed and unrecognized IE in IDUs is unknown. The aim of the present study was to assess the prevalence of valvular abnormalities suggestive of IE in IDUs attending a supervised injection facility. We performed transthoracic echocardiographic examinations on-site in the injection facilities. A total of 206 IDUs (mean age 43 ± 9 years, 23% women) with a median injection drug abuse of 18 years (interquartile range 10 to 26) were included. Fourteen IDUs (14 of 206, 7%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 4% to 11%) had a previous history of IE. IDUs with a history of IE were significantly older than IDUs without a history of IE (48 ± 8 vs 42 ± 9 years, respectively, p = 0.03) and had a longer duration of injection drug use (27 [18 to 36] vs 17 years [10 to 25], p = 0.008). In the subgroup of IDUs with a history of IE, 4 subjects (4 of 14, 29%, 95% CI 11% to 55%) had persistent or relapse vegetations. Of the remaining 10 IDUs with a history of IE, 5 (5 of 10, 50%, 95% CI 24% to 76%) had moderate-to-severe regurgitation. In the subgroup of IDUs without a history of IE, vegetations were seen in 9 subjects (9 of 192, 5%, 95% CI 2% to 9%). This group of IDUs with possibly unrecognized IE was older than IDUs without vegetations (48 ± 12 vs 42 ± 9, respectively, p = 0.04). Among the IDUs without a history of IE who did not have vegetations, 30 IDUs (30 of 183, 16%, 95% CI 11% to 22%) had moderate-to-severe regurgitation with or without concomitant thickening of leaflets. Thus, in IDUs without a history of IE, some extent of valvular abnormalities was seen in 20% (39 of 192, 95% CI 15% to 27%) of subjects. None of the IDUs with valvular vegetations had current symptoms consistent with active IE. In conclusion, valvular abnormalities assessed by echocardiography were prevalent in asymptomatic IDUs without a medical history of IE, and vegetations were seen in 5% of subjects.

KW - Adult

KW - Cross-Sectional Studies

KW - Denmark

KW - Echocardiography

KW - Endocarditis

KW - Female

KW - Humans

KW - Interviews as Topic

KW - Male

KW - Middle Aged

KW - Substance Abuse, Intravenous

KW - Urban Population

U2 - 10.1016/j.amjcard.2014.04.010

DO - 10.1016/j.amjcard.2014.04.010

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 24819896

VL - 114

SP - 100

EP - 104

JO - Am. J. Cardiol.

JF - Am. J. Cardiol.

SN - 0002-9149

IS - 1

ER -