Tainted Love: A Case of Gonococcal Endocarditis

Gonococcal endocarditis (GE) is a rare complication of disseminated gonococcal infection with significant morbidity and increasing mortality despite early diagnosis and surgical intervention. The discovery and use of antibiotics in the treatment of gonococcal infections has made this once relatively...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Curēus (Palo Alto, CA) CA), 2022-06, Vol.14 (6)
Main Authors: Katragadda, Silpita, Miatech, Jennifer L, Zboril, Ashley, Echefu, Gift, Negulescu, Catalina
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Anemia
Antibiotics
Asymptomatic
Cardiac arrhythmia
Cardiology
Case reports
Disease control
Dyspnea
Endocarditis
Fever
Gonorrhea
Heart failure
Hemoglobin
Infections
Infectious Disease
Internal Medicine
Laboratories
Medical prognosis
Medieval period
Methamphetamine
Neutrophils
Patients
Physical therapy
Surgery
Ultrasonic imaging
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Summary:Gonococcal endocarditis (GE) is a rare complication of disseminated gonococcal infection with significant morbidity and increasing mortality despite early diagnosis and surgical intervention. The discovery and use of antibiotics in the treatment of gonococcal infections has made this once relatively common entity a rarity. Notably, over the recent years, GE has shown an alarming resurgence for unclear reasons. The upward trend in the incidence of gonococcal infections coupled with observed antibiotic resistance may in part explain the rise in cases. GE mostly affects sexually active young people without a history of valvular heart disease. Prompt diagnosis and surgical intervention are important in the bid to mitigate poor outcomes. Management is therefore multidisciplinary; primary care clinicians who usually are the first to see this patient population should be able to make an early diagnosis and facilitate early referral for surgical intervention as indicated. Despite appropriate and timely therapy, devastating consequences of this condition are not uncommon.
ISSN:2168-8184
2168-8184
DOI:10.7759/cureus.26420