Abstract
Background
Streptococcus pyogenes, or Group A Strep (GAS), is not considered a typical cause of infective endocarditis (IE), but has anecdotally been observed in unexpectedly high rates in people who inject drugs (PWID) at our institution.
Methods
All cases of possible or definite GAS IE per Modified Duke Criteria in adults at an academic hospital between 11/15/2015 and 11/15/2020 were identified. Medical records were reviewed for demographics, comorbidities, treatment, and outcomes related to GAS IE. Literature on cases of GAS IE was reviewed.
Results
18 cases of probable (11) or definite (7) GAS IE were identified; mean age was 38 years, and the population was predominantly female (56%) and Caucasian (67%), which is inconsistent with local population demographics. Sixteen cases were in people who inject drugs (PWID) (89%), 14 were also homeless, six were also living with HIV (33%), and two were also pregnant. Antibiotic regimens were variable due to polymicrobial bacteremia (39%). One patient underwent surgical valve replacement. Four patients (22%) died due to complications of infection. Literature review revealed 42 adult cases of GAS IE, only 17 of which were in PWID (24%).
Conclusions
The 16 cases of possible and definite GAS IE in PWID over a five-year period in a single institution reported nearly doubles the number of cases in PWID from all previous reports. This suggests a potential increase in GAS IE particularly in PWID and PLWH, which warrants further epidemiologic investigation.