American heart journal
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American heart journal · Feb 2006
Multicenter StudyEpidemiologic, clinical, and microbiologic profile of infective endocarditis in Argentina: a national survey. The Endocarditis Infecciosa en la República Argentina-2 (EIRA-2) Study.
This study aimed to determine the epidemiologic, clinical, microbiologic characteristics, and inhospital outcome of infective endocarditis (IE) in Argentina and compare the results with those of the 1992 IE national survey. ⋯ The EIRA-2 survey shows that the clinical profile of IE has changed in Argentina. Currently, patients with IE are older and have a higher frequency of underlying heart disease, degenerative valve disease, and prosthetic valve IE than previously. The incidence of staphylococcal IE has increased. Inhospital mortality remains high, suggesting that more aggressive measures are needed for the early identification, prevention, and treatment of IE.