Down Syndrome Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Down Syndrome, including details on education, symptoms, treatment, information.

Treatment of infective endocarditis with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator.

Gunes AM, Bostan OM, Baytan B, Semizel E

Department of Pediatric Hematology, Uludag University, Medical Faculty, Bursa, Turkey.

Infective endocarditis (IE) caused by microbial infection is virtually always fatal if untreated. High-dose and long-term antibiotic treatment is required to eradicate microorganisms. If increased risk of embolic events, persistent infection, and progressive cardiac failure are present, surgery is indicated. However, surgery can carry an increased risk of mortality and morbidity in critically ill children of whom other treatment options such as administering, a thrombolytic agent; recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (r-tPA) could be an alternative choice. Here, we report a 14-year-old male with Down syndrome and acute myeloblastic leukemia, diagnosed with IE characterized by two large vegetations on aortic and mitral valves, who was successfully treated with r-tPA.

Published 26 November 2007 in Pediatr Blood Cancer, 50(1): 132-4.
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