How to Diagnose Endocarditis

Endocarditis is a bacterial infection in the lining of the heart. It can stem from something as simple as recent dental work or a cut on the gums from brushing your teeth where bacteria enters the bloodstream and settles in the heart. Be cautious when getting body piercing, tattoos or dental work. Sometimes your surgeon may perform surgery to repair or even replace damage to heart valves.

Instructions

• 1

  Check your temperature. High fever is the first sign of endocarditis, and your health-care provider may hear a heart murmur that may not have been there before. The murmur indicates your heart valve is leaking blood back into the chamber.

• 2

  Get a blood culture. Several blood cultures may be done to identify the type of bacteria that is causing the infection. The bacteria growth in the blood cultures usually shows up within two to three days. Your doctor may also request a urine sample.

• 3

  Have an echocardiogram. Your doctor will order an echocardiogram, which is a noninvasive ultrasound of your heart. This will determine if there is any turbulence in your heart's blood flow, which indicates a leaky valve. He can also see if there is any obstruction growing on your valves.

• 4

  Do follow-up testing if necessary. In some cases, an echocardiogram may not give the doctor a good enough view of your heart, since it is through the chest wall. He may choose to perform a transesophageal echo (TEE), where a tube is inserted into your esophagus to get a better view of the heart and its valves.