A M Gillinov, R V Shah, W E Curtis, R S Stuart, D E Cameron, W A Baumgartner, P S Greene
BACKGROUND: Acute neurologic deficits occur in up to 40% of patients with left heart endocarditis. Appropriate evaluation and management of patients with acute neurologic dysfunction who require valve operations for endocarditis remain controversial. This retrospective review was undertaken to develop recommendations for the evaluation and treatment of these challenging patients. METHODS: From 1983 to 1995, 247 patients underwent operations for left heart native valve endocarditis at the Johns Hopkins Hospital...
April 1996: Annals of Thoracic Surgery