Encocarditis Disease Essay

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Endocarditis and End stage renal disease NUR240 Endocarditis is an infection of the endocardium, which is the innermost layer of the heart, the heart valves or cardiac prosthesis. The endocarditis occurs as a result from bacterial or virus invasion. The collection of microorganisms, fibrin, and platelets forms vegetation that covers the valve surfaces and spread to the chordae tendineae, the endothelial lining of heart chamber or the endothelium of the greater vessels leading to and from heart, hence causing the heart failure. Pieces of vegetative growth may break off and form emboli that travel to spleen, lungs, kidneys or central nervous system. The predisposing factors for endocarditis include, aging for older people who have aortic stenosis; intravenous drug abuse, presence of prosthetic heart valve, use of intravascular devices which may result in nosocomial like, methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA); and renal dialysis (Lewis et al, 2011, 841-842). Signs and symptoms include fever, chills, weakness, malaise, fatigue and anorexia due to bacterial infection. Joint pain, muscle, pain, back pain, abdominal discomfort, headache, weight loss and clubbing of fingers resulting from heart failure. Black longitudinal streaks in nails bed Petechiae which result from fragments and microorganism embolization of vegetative lesion as evidenced by conjunctiva, lips, buccal mucosa and palate , and ankles, feet and anticubital and popliteal areas. Painful, tender, red or purple, pea-sized lesions may show on fingertips or toes. Secondary signs and symptoms due to embolization includes, pain in the flank, hematuria, azotemia, and low urine output resulting from renal infarction. Also there is pain in the upper quadrant, and splenomegaly, local tenderness and abdominal rigidity resulting from splenic infarction. Hemiparesis, aphasia, and neurologic deficits,

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