Cardiac device Q fever endocarditis — A delayed diagnosis

Delayed Diagnosis of Chronic Q Fever and Cardiac Valve Surgery

Untreated chronic Q fever causes a high number of complications and deaths. We present cases of chronic Q fever that were not diagnosed until after the patients underwent cardiac valve surgery. In epidemic areas, Q fever screening of valve surgery patients secures early initiation of treatment and can prevent illness and death.

Delayed diagnosis of Q fever endocarditis in a rheumatoid arthritis patient

Chronic Q fever caused by Coxiella burnetii is uncommon in the United States and is most often associated with infective endocarditis. We present a 52-year-old woman with a history of aortic valve replacement and rheumatoid arthritis treated with Etanercept with chronic Q fever manifesting as prosthetic valve infective endocarditis. Explanted valve tissue showed organisms confirmed to be C. bur...

Preventing Q fever endocarditis: a review of cardiac assessment in hospitalised Q fever patients.

INTRODUCTION Acute Q fever is an important zoonotic disease in some parts of rural Australia. Q Fever can lead to chronic disease such as endocarditis, this complication occurring more commonly in patients with underlying heart valve pathology or an impaired immune system. Untreated Q fever endocarditis has a high mortality rate, but even with appropriate therapy, 10% of patients will die. Card...

Chronic Q fever endocarditis.

Eight patients with chronic Q fever endocarditis were treated with tetracycline for up to 40 months. In addition, five of these patients received co-trimoxazole. Six patients had prosthetic valves. Two patients who had Q fever endocarditis on their native valves required valve replacement because of haemodynamic difficulties: in only one did the Q fever endocarditis contribute to the haemodynam...

Chronic Q fever endocarditis.