Diphtheroid endocarditis after insertion of a prosthetic heart valve. Report of two cases.

Abstract

In two cases of diphtheroid endocarditis after insertion of Starr-Edwards ball-valve prostheses, the source of infection was most likely related to the cardiopulmonary bypass procedure. Although diphtheroids are common contaminants in blood cultures, these organisms are an important cause of bacterial endocarditis especially in patients who have had open-heart surgery.