Question:medium
Infective Endocarditis is a very rare feature of
Infective Endocarditis is a very rare feature of
Show Hint
Think about which shunt has no real pressure gradient and so no jet lesion.
Updated On: Jul 7, 2026
- Patent ductus arteriosus
- Ostium secundum atrial septal defect
- Tetralogy of Fallot
- Ventricular septal defect
Show Solution
The Correct Option is B
Solution and Explanation
Step 1: What predisposes to endocarditis.
Bacteria settle where the endocardium has been scraped up by a fast jet of blood. Any defect that creates a strong jet sets up a risk for infective endocarditis.
Step 2: The special case of secundum ASD.
An ostium secundum ASD is a wide hole between the two atria, and the pressure difference between the atria is small. A small pressure gap means slow, low velocity flow, not a jet.
Step 3: Why that matters.
Without a jet, the endocardial lining stays intact, so there is no rough surface for bacteria to colonize. This is why doctors do not even recommend endocarditis prophylaxis for an isolated secundum ASD.
Step 4: Check the alternatives.
A patent ductus keeps a constant high pressure jet flowing into the pulmonary artery, a VSD drives blood across a real pressure gap into the other ventricle, and Tetralogy of Fallot has both a big VSD and a right to left jet. All three damage the endocardium and are classic endocarditis risks.
Step 5: Conclude.
The defect set apart from a jet lesion, and so rarely linked with infective endocarditis, is the ostium secundum atrial septal defect.
\[ \boxed{\text{Ostium secundum atrial septal defect}} \]
Bacteria settle where the endocardium has been scraped up by a fast jet of blood. Any defect that creates a strong jet sets up a risk for infective endocarditis.
Step 2: The special case of secundum ASD.
An ostium secundum ASD is a wide hole between the two atria, and the pressure difference between the atria is small. A small pressure gap means slow, low velocity flow, not a jet.
Step 3: Why that matters.
Without a jet, the endocardial lining stays intact, so there is no rough surface for bacteria to colonize. This is why doctors do not even recommend endocarditis prophylaxis for an isolated secundum ASD.
Step 4: Check the alternatives.
A patent ductus keeps a constant high pressure jet flowing into the pulmonary artery, a VSD drives blood across a real pressure gap into the other ventricle, and Tetralogy of Fallot has both a big VSD and a right to left jet. All three damage the endocardium and are classic endocarditis risks.
Step 5: Conclude.
The defect set apart from a jet lesion, and so rarely linked with infective endocarditis, is the ostium secundum atrial septal defect.
\[ \boxed{\text{Ostium secundum atrial septal defect}} \]
Was this answer helpful?
0
