Etiological Factors of Infective Endocarditis in Children Aged 1 Month to 15 Years Hospitalised in the Paediatric Department of CHU Gabriel Touré of Bamako (Mali)

Introduction: In emerging countries where studies are rarer, the epidemiological profile of infective endocarditis resembles that of developed countries at the beginning of the antibiotic era. There is little data available in Mali on this subject, motivating this study, the aim of which was to study the etiological factors of infective endocarditis in children aged between 1 month and 15 years hospitalised in the paediatric department of the CHU Gabriel Touré. Patients and Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional and descriptive study, which took place from August 2018 to August 2019 (13 months), in children aged between 1 month and 15 years hospitalised in the paediatric department of the Gabriel Touré University Hospital with an ultrasound- confirmed cardiac disease and a temperature above 38°C. Results: The hospitalization rate was 0.4%. The average age was 11 months, the sex ratio was 1.35. Respiratory distress (63.6%) and fever (30.3%) were the most common reasons for referral. Congenital heart disease (87.9%) and dyspnoea on feeding (24.2%) were the most common medical histories. IVC was the most frequent congenital heart disease (36.4%). The mean temperature was 39.1°C. Blood cultures were taken in 24 patients (72.7%) and were positive in 27.3%. Staphylococcus aureus was found in 55.6% of cases. Trans-thoracic ultrasound found vegetations in 03 cases. According to the modified DUKE criteria, the diagnosis of endocarditis was retained in 27.30%. The evolution was marked by a high case fatality rate (45.45%). Conclusion: Endocarditis is an uncommon disease in children with a pulmonary portal of entry and Staphylococcus aureus as the main germ. Its mortality remains high.