Surgery for native aortic valve infective endocarditis
Introduction Heart valve infections are a quite uncommon pathology with an estimated annual incidence of 3–10 cases in 100,000 in a normal population. With a mortality standing between 15% and…
Future directions in infective endocarditis
Introduction The first descriptions of endocarditis appeared in the literature in the 1600s at a time when the anatomy and physiology of the heart was still incompletely characterized [ ]….
Timing of surgical intervention following acute stroke from infective endocarditis
Introduction Neurologic sequelae are among the most common and devastating complications of infective endocarditis (IE) with an incidence varying between 10% and 75% [ ] and mortality ranging between 20%…
Surgery for native mitral valve endocarditis
Epidemiology Infective endocarditis of a native valve is relatively rare with the incidence reported as roughly 2–10 cases per 100,000 person-years by several sources [ , ]. However, the burden…
Ethical controversies related to the care of an intravenous drug abuser with endocarditis
Introduction Infective endocarditis (IE) is a bacterial or fungal infection of the heart valves and lining that Jean François Fernel first mentioned nearly 500 years ago (1554). William Osler described…
Outpatient follow-up and management of infective endocarditis
Funding and Acknowledgments JMM received a personal 80:20 research grant from Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain, during 2017–19. AD received postdoctoral grants for his stay…
Timing and indications for surgery
Overview of indications and timing for surgery The indications and timing of surgery for infective endocarditis (IE) is complex and nuanced. General considerations in deciding whether to operate and when…
Surgery for right-sided infective endocarditis
Introduction Right-sided infective endocarditis (RSIE) most commonly occurs in the setting of intravenous drug use (IVDU) and has taken on increasing surgical significance as the opioid crisis has driven increased…
Endocarditis related to cardiovascular implantable devices
Introduction Cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs), including the permanent pacemaker (PPM), implantable cardiac defibrillator (ICD), and cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) devices, provide life-saving intervention for a variety of clinically indicated…
Echocardiographic assessment of infectious endocarditis
Echocardiography is an essential imaging modality for the diagnosis and management of infective endocarditis. It is often the first imaging study ordered when endocarditis is suspected, and serial echocardiographic exams…
