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HANDOC - a handy score to determine the need for echocardiography in non-beta-hemolytic streptococcal bacteremia

Sunnerhagen, Torgny LU orcid ; Törnell, Amanda ; Vikbrant, Maria ; Nilson, Bo LU orcid and Rasmussen, Magnus LU (2018) In Clinical Infectious Diseases 66(5). p.693-698
Abstract

Background: Non-beta-hemolytic streptococci (NBHS) are a common cause of infective endocarditis (IE). Echocardiography is used to diagnose IE, but it is not known which patients with NBHS bacteremia should undergo echocardiography.

Method: Medical records of patients with NBHS bacteremia in southern Sweden from 2012-2014 were studied retrospectively. The patients were divided into two cohorts. In the first, correlations between the reported data and IE were studied. These variables were used to construct the HANDOC score, which was then validated in the second cohort.

Results: 340 patients with NBHS bacteremia were included in the first cohort of whom 26 fulfilled the criteria for IE, and in 197 cases IE could be excluded.... (More)

Background: Non-beta-hemolytic streptococci (NBHS) are a common cause of infective endocarditis (IE). Echocardiography is used to diagnose IE, but it is not known which patients with NBHS bacteremia should undergo echocardiography.

Method: Medical records of patients with NBHS bacteremia in southern Sweden from 2012-2014 were studied retrospectively. The patients were divided into two cohorts. In the first, correlations between the reported data and IE were studied. These variables were used to construct the HANDOC score, which was then validated in the second cohort.

Results: 340 patients with NBHS bacteremia were included in the first cohort of whom 26 fulfilled the criteria for IE, and in 197 cases IE could be excluded. Several factors differed significantly between the patients with IE and those without. Amongst these variables, the presence of Heart murmur or valve disease, Aetiology with the groups of S. mutans, S. bovis, S. sanguinis or S. anginosus, Number of positive blood cultures ≥2, Duration of symptoms of 7 days or more, Only one species growing in blood cultures, and Community acquired infection were chosen to form the HANDOC score. With a cut-off between two and three points, HANDOC had a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 73% in the first cohort. When tested in the validation cohort (n=399), the sensitivity was 100% and the specificity 76%.

Conclusion: HANDOC can be used in clinical decision making to identify patients with NBHS bacteremia who have a risk of IE so low that echocardiography can be omitted, therefore implementation might reduce the use of echocardiography.

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author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Journal Article
in
Clinical Infectious Diseases
volume
66
issue
5
pages
693 - 698
publisher
Oxford University Press
external identifiers
  • pmid:29040411
  • scopus:85046292880
ISSN
1537-6591
DOI
10.1093/cid/cix880
project
Infections caused by Aerococcus and other endocarditis-causing pathogens
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
b8365b25-9237-45e9-96de-e5be196159b0
date added to LUP
2017-11-16 14:20:38
date last changed
2024-06-10 03:26:08
@article{b8365b25-9237-45e9-96de-e5be196159b0,
  abstract     = {{<p>Background: Non-beta-hemolytic streptococci (NBHS) are a common cause of infective endocarditis (IE). Echocardiography is used to diagnose IE, but it is not known which patients with NBHS bacteremia should undergo echocardiography.</p><p>Method: Medical records of patients with NBHS bacteremia in southern Sweden from 2012-2014 were studied retrospectively. The patients were divided into two cohorts. In the first, correlations between the reported data and IE were studied. These variables were used to construct the HANDOC score, which was then validated in the second cohort.</p><p>Results: 340 patients with NBHS bacteremia were included in the first cohort of whom 26 fulfilled the criteria for IE, and in 197 cases IE could be excluded. Several factors differed significantly between the patients with IE and those without. Amongst these variables, the presence of Heart murmur or valve disease, Aetiology with the groups of S. mutans, S. bovis, S. sanguinis or S. anginosus, Number of positive blood cultures ≥2, Duration of symptoms of 7 days or more, Only one species growing in blood cultures, and Community acquired infection were chosen to form the HANDOC score. With a cut-off between two and three points, HANDOC had a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 73% in the first cohort. When tested in the validation cohort (n=399), the sensitivity was 100% and the specificity 76%.</p><p>Conclusion: HANDOC can be used in clinical decision making to identify patients with NBHS bacteremia who have a risk of IE so low that echocardiography can be omitted, therefore implementation might reduce the use of echocardiography.</p>}},
  author       = {{Sunnerhagen, Torgny and Törnell, Amanda and Vikbrant, Maria and Nilson, Bo and Rasmussen, Magnus}},
  issn         = {{1537-6591}},
  keywords     = {{Journal Article}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{5}},
  pages        = {{693--698}},
  publisher    = {{Oxford University Press}},
  series       = {{Clinical Infectious Diseases}},
  title        = {{HANDOC - a handy score to determine the need for echocardiography in non-beta-hemolytic streptococcal bacteremia}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/119234141/HANDOC_a_handy_score_to_determine_the_need_for_echocardiography_in_non_beta_hemolytic_streptococcal_bacteremia.pdf}},
  doi          = {{10.1093/cid/cix880}},
  volume       = {{66}},
  year         = {{2018}},
}