Gerbode defect resulting from ineffective treatment of infective endocarditis: a case report

This case highlights that inadequately treated infective endocarditis can rapidly progress and cause serious complications. If patients with prosthetic valves develop bacteremia and have negative TEEs, retrospectively-gated CTs should be obtained to evaluate for perivalvular extensions. Currently, there have been no published studies demonstrating patients with infective endocarditis who were treated with Dalbavancin that progressed to fistulous tracts. Further research is required to investigate the effectiveness of long-acting lipoglycopeptides, such as Dalbavancin, in treating infective endocarditis. This case demonstrates a rare, but a serious medical emergency that can arise in patients with prosthetic heart valves and positive blood cultures when not detected early and treated promptly.