Journal
CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY AND INFECTION
Volume 12, Issue 1, Pages 5-12Publisher
ELSEVIER SCI LTD
DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-0691.2005.01289.x
Keywords
cardiac disease; diagnosis; endocarditis; epidemiology; management; review; therapy
Categories
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Infective endocarditis is a microbial infection of the endocardial surface and, despite improvements in diagnostic accuracy, medical therapy and surgical techniques, mortality remains high. This review focuses on changes in epidemiology, microbiology and diagnosis, as well as changes in medical and surgical management of infective endocarditis affecting native and prosthetic valves in adults, that have evolved during the past two decades. Significant changes have included an increasing involvement of prosthetic valves and nosocomially-acquired disease, an increased involvement of staphylococci as the causative agents, and a recognition that elderly individuals with degenerative valvular disease are the most vulnerable population. Topics still requiring study include whether and when valve replacement should be performed, and how to predict perivalvular complications or embolisation based on echocardiography findings. Optimisation of antimicrobial treatment schemes (choice of the antibiotic, dose and duration) also requires further investigation.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available