Symptoms & Signs
- Abnormal urine color
- Chills (common)
- Excessive sweating (common)
- Fatigue
- Fever (common)
- Joint pain
- Muscle aches and pains
- Night sweats
- Nail abnormalities (splinter hemorrhages under the nails)
- Paleness
- Red, painless skin spots on the palms and soles (Janeway lesions)
- Red, painful nodes in the pads of the fingers and toes (Osler’s nodes)
- Shortness of breath with activity
- Swelling of feet, legs, abdomen
- Weakness
- Weight loss
Note: Endocarditis symptoms can develop slowly (subacute) or suddenly (acute).
Diagnosis & Tests
Doctors might suspect endocarditis in people with a history of:
- Congenital heart disease
- Intravenous drug use
- Recent dental work
- Rheumatic fever
The health care provider may detect a new heart murmur, or a change in a previous heart murmur. Examination of the nails may show splinter hemorrhages.
An eye exam may show bleeding in the retina a central area of clearing. This is known as Roth’s spots. There may be small, pinpoint hemorrhages (petechiae) in the conjunctiva. The fingertips may be enlarged, and the nails may appear curved. This is called clubbing.
Tests:
- Blood culture
- Complete blood count (CBC)
- Chest x-ray
- C-reactive protein (CRP)
- Echocardiogram
- ECG
- Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)
- Serology
- Transesophageal echocardiogram
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Endocarditis : Overview, Causes, & Risk Factors
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Endocarditis : Symptoms & Signs, Diagnosis & Tests
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Endocarditis : Treatment
Review Date : 9/3/2008
Reviewed By : D. Scott Smith, M.D., MSc, DTM&H, Chief of Infectious Disease & Geographic Medicine, Kaiser Redwood City, CA & Adjunct Assistant Professor, Stanford University. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
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