Glossary

Author: Glossary

  • Nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis

    The presence on the heart valves of vegetations that are produced not by bacteria but by sterile collections of platelets in fibrin. NBTE is characteristically found in severe cases of systemic lupus erythematosus, tuberculosis, or malignancy. The vegetations of NBTE readily embolize, causing infarctions in other organs.  

  • Native valve endocarditis

    Infective endocarditis occurring on a patient’s own heart valve(s), rather than on a prosthetic (surgically implanted) valve(s).  

  • Mural endocarditis

    Endocarditis of the lining of the heart but not the heart valves.  

  • Malignant endocarditis

    An old term for endocarditis that is rapidly fatal. An ulcerative and infectious ailment affecting the inner lining of the heart.  

  • Infective endocarditis

    Endocarditis caused by any microorganism, especially any species of streptococci or staphylococci, and less often by Haemophilus spp. or other HACEK bacteria (e.g., Actinobacillus actinomycetem comitans, Cardiobacterium hominis, Eikenella corrodens, or Kingella kingae), enteric bacteria, ricksettsiae, chlamydiae, or fungi. Traditionally, IE can be categorized as acute if the illness has a fulminant onset; catheter related…

  • Culture-negative endocarditis

    Infective endocarditis produced by organisms that do not quickly or readily grow in blood cultures, usually because their growth is masked by the previous use of antibiotics or because the causative organisms require special culture media or grow slowly in the laboratory. Mycoplasma, Ricksettsia, HACEK (an acronym for Haemophilus, Actinobacillus, Cardiobacterium, Eikenella, Kingella) organisms, and…

  • Atypical verrucous endocarditis

    An infrequently used term for nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis.  

  • Acute bacterial endocarditis

    Infective endocarditis with a rapid onset, usually a few days to 2 weeks. The infection is typically caused by virulent organisms such as Staphylococcus aureus, which may rapidly invade and destroy heart valvular tissue and also metastasize to other organs or tissues.  

  • Endobronchial tube

    A double-lumen tube used in anesthesia. One tube may be used to aerate a portion of the lung, while the other is occluded to deflate the other lung or a portion of it.  

  • Endobiotic

    To an organism living parasitically in the host.