An Early Diagnosis of Endocarditis Facilitated by the Electronic Stethoscope

Walid Barake, Amer M. Johri

Cardiology Division, Queen’s University, Kingston, Canada.

DOI: 10.4236/ojcd.2014.42016                

Abstract

The practice of cardiac auscultation is a critical tool used by physicians to detect alterations in the cardiovascular system. A case of both left and right sided endocarditis initially detected by electronic auscultation in a woman with a history of injection drug use is described. The electronic stethoscope, with the ability to amplify heart sounds, established the presence of both a systolic and diastolic murmur when standard auscultation failed to detect the diastolic component. Urgent standard echocardiography confirmed concurrent tricuspid and aortic valves endocarditis, and the patient was referred for surgical evaluation urgently. The present case demonstrates the value of the electronic stethoscope to amplify murmurs in the early detection of endocarditis. The case presented also serves as a useful reminder that right-sided endocarditis can have important leftsided complications.

Keywords

Electronic Stethoscope, Conventional Stethoscope, Endocarditis, Murmurs

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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