Epidemiology, Clinical Characteristics, and Outcomes of Infective Endocarditis over a Decade in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Oman

Objectives Infective endocarditis (IE) remains associated with substantial morbidity and mortality, yet data from Oman and the Gulf region are limited. We aimed to describe the epidemiology, clinical characteristics, microbiological profile, and in-hospital outcomes of definite IE in a tertiary care hospital in Oman. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients admitted between 2006 and 2016. Cases were identified from electronic medical records using ICD-10-CM code I33.0. Modified Duke criteria were applied retrospectively, and only definite IE cases were included. Results Among 172 screened patients, 130 (75.6%) met criteria for definite IE. The mean age was 42.3 years, and median symptom duration before diagnosis was 14 days. Native valve IE occurred in 113 patients (87.0%) and prosthetic valve IE in 17 (13.0%). Staphylococcus species were the most commonly isolated pathogens (43.1%), among which Staphylococcus aureus accounted for 38.5%. In-hospital mortality was 31.5%, and mortality was lower in patients who underwent surgery than in those who did not (18.0% vs 40.0%; p=0.011). Conclusions In this Omani cohort, IE affected a relatively young population and was characterized by predominant Staphylococcus aureus infection and high in-hospital mortality. These findings support context-specific empiric therapy, early echocardiographic evaluation, and timely surgical assessment.