Infective Endocarditis

Abstract

Infective endocarditis is a rare disease, mostly affecting individuals with underlying cardiac pathology or intracardiac foreign bodies such as central lines. Mortality of IE is high, particularly with resistant bacterial agents or fungal infection. Patients may develop severe congestive heart failure due to worsening of valvular function. Treatment may require multiple antibiotics for a prolonged period of time to eradicate infection. Surgical intervention is performed to correct significant valvular disease, embolization, or failure to respond to medical therapy. Use of prophylactic antibiotics to prevent IE in patients with congenital heart disease has been recently limited to those with prosthetic valves, unrepaired cyanotic congenital heart disease, residual defects after surgical repair, past ­history of IE and patients with cardiac transplantation and valvular heart disease.