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Infective Endocarditis: Therapeutic Options and Indications for Surgery

  • Valvular Heart Disease (VT Nkomo, Section Editor)
  • Published:
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Abstract

Infective endocarditis is a serious, life-threatening condition with mortality of 30 % at one year. Established treatment is a combination of anti-microbial therapy and close interface between multiple specialist teams of cardiologists, microbiologists and cardiac surgeons to ensure availability of early surgery to those patients who require it. There are evidence-based established indications for surgery and a shifting body of evidence advocating earlier surgical intervention. The development of complications is often the driving cause of referral for surgical intervention. Here we discuss the management of infective endocarditis, considering both antimicrobial therapy and indications for surgery to treat this debilitating disease.

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Conflict of Interest

Aneil Malhotra, Jenny Rayner, Timothy M. Williams, and Bernard Prendergast declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent

This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Oxford Heart Centre, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headley Way, Headington, Oxford, OX3 9DU, UK

    Aneil Malhotra, Jenny Rayner & Bernard Prendergast

  2. St. Peter’s Hospital, Guildford Road, Chertsey, Surrey, K16 0PZ, UK

    Timothy M. Williams

Authors
  1. Aneil Malhotra
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  2. Jenny Rayner
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  3. Timothy M. Williams
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  4. Bernard Prendergast
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Correspondence to Aneil Malhotra.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Valvular Heart Disease

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Malhotra, A., Rayner, J., Williams, T.M. et al. Infective Endocarditis: Therapeutic Options and Indications for Surgery. Curr Cardiol Rep 16, 464 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11886-014-0464-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11886-014-0464-9

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