An infection of the lining of the heart chambers and heart valves by bacteria, fungi, viruses, or other microorganisms. Bacterial endocarditis refers specifically to infection by a bacterial agent.
Infectious endocarditis involves the heart valves.
Most people who develop infectious endocarditis have underlying heart disease . Sources of the infection may be transient bacteremia , which is common during dental, upper respiratory , urologic, and lower gastrointestinal diagnostic and surgical procedures. The infection can cause growths on the heart valves, the lining of the heart, or the lining of the blood vessels. These growths may be dislodged and send clots to the brain, lungs, kidneys, or spleen. Many bacteria can cause endocarditis but a common mouth organism, Streptococcus viridans, is responsible for approximately half of all bacterial endocarditis.