TREATMENT OF ENDOCARDITIS
As mild endocarditis rarely occurs primarily but is almost always secondary to some acute disease, its immediate treatment is only a slight modification of that of the disease which is causing it. A complication which is so frequent should always be expected, and consequently warded off or prevented, if possible. Knowledge of the diseases which are most liable to cause endocarditis makes frequent heart examinations a necessity, to note when it arrives. While an extra heart tire, sleeplessness, and the circulation of unnecessary toxins from a bad condition of the bowels and from improperly selected food all make this complication more liable, its occurrence is, nevertheless, often unpreventable.
The most efficacious preventive pleasures are sleep, rest, the stopping of pain, prevention of exertion, proper food which does not cause flatulence or other indigestion, good, sufficient daily movements of the bowels, the prevention of intestinal distention, and maintenance of a clean, moist surface of the body, produced by such sponging and bathing as the temperature demands.
The disease having developed, the indications for treatment are really few; in fact, the treatment is mostly negative. There is generally but little local pain; the temperature from simple endocarditis alone is not high and the acute symptoms tend to abate.
Local Treatment.—Endocarditis having been diagnosed, especially if there is palpation or pain, an ice bag over the heart is often of considerable value, but not so efficient as in pericarditis. It often tends to quiet the heart, and may be of some value reflexly in slowing the inflammation. If it causes restlessness, however, and does not lessen the pain (which in some instances it may increase), it certainly should be stopped. Children, in whom this complication so frequently occurs, generally do not bear the ice bag well. Sometimes it may be advisable to substitute warm applications, and often a great deal of comfort is derived from them, the patient soon going to sleep. One of the greatest values of either cold or hot applications is diminution of the discomfort from the cardiac disturbance, and the stopping of any pain which may be present. If they do not do this, there is no object in using either cold or heat.
The discomfort from blisters over the heart during the acute stage of endocarditis is greater than any good which they can do. In adults a few small blisters may be used intermittently around the borders of the heart, after the acute symptoms are over, to act reflexly on the heart and possibly aid absorption of inflammatory products. Sometimes improvement seems to follow such treatment; it certainly can do no harm.
During convalescence, the skin over the heart may be painted with iodin, repeated often enough to cause stimulation without injuring the skin; it seems at times to be of value. Various iodin or iodid ointments have been used, but they probably have no more value than the administration of small doses of iodid.
Systemic Treatment.—As this complication most frequently occurs during acute rheumatism, the question arises as to the value or harmfulness of salicylates and alkaline drugs. With our recent better understanding of the action on the heart of pure salicylates (either natural or synthetic saliclic acid, which have been shown to act identically, if equally pure), we must believe that in any ordinary dosage they will injure the heart but rarely. While salicylic acid will not prevent endocarditis, it should he continued, if it is of benefit with regard to the arthritis. The indication for its use depends on its effect on the joints. As it acts at times almost as a specific in rheumatism, it would seem that it should be of value in the endocarditis caused by rheumatism. On the other hand, the endocarditis occurs during the second or third week of acute rheumatism, after the blood has been thoroughly saturated with salicylic acid. Therefore it certainly does not tend to prevent rheumatic endocarditis; hence for this complication alone salicylic acid is not indicated.