Expert consensus recommendations for the provision of infective endocarditis services: updated guidance from the Joint British Societies

Infective endocarditis (IE) remains a difficult condition to diagnose and treat and is an infection of high consequence for patients, causing long hospital stays, life-changing complications and high mortality. A new multidisciplinary, multiprofessional, British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (BSAC)-ledWorking Party was convened to undertake a focused systematical review of the literature and to update the previous BSAC guidelines relating delivery of services for patients with IE. A scoping exercise identified new questions concerning optimal delivery of care, and the systematic review identified 16 231 papers of which 20 met the inclusion criteria. Recommendations relating to endocarditis teams, infrastructure and support, endocarditis referral processes, patient follow-up and patient information, and governance are made as well as research recommendations. This is a report of a joint Working Party of the BSAC, British Cardiovascular Society, British Heart Valve Society, British Society of Echocardiography, Society of Cardiothoracic Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland, British Congenital Cardiac Association and British Infection Association.

Automated summary

Infective endocarditis (IE) is a challenging condition to diagnose and treat, and it has serious consequences for patients, including prolonged hospital stays, life-altering complications, and high mortality rates. A new multidisciplinary, multiprofessional Working Party, led by the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (BSAC), conducted a systematic review of the literature to update the guidelines for delivering services to IE patients. The report provides recommendations for endocarditis teams, infrastructure and support, referral processes, patient follow-up and information, and governance, as well as research recommendations. This joint effort involved multiple medical societies in the UK.