[Infective endocarditis].

Colonization of native cardiac valves or polymer implants, e.g. valves, conduits, rings, electrode leads and polymer-associated endocarditis (PIE), by microorganisms, primarily gram-positive bacteria (infective endocarditis), constitutes a severe, prognostically unfavorable disease. Fever and in the majority of cases development of a valve regurgitant murmur are clinical landmark findings. The white blood cell count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) are regularly elevated. With a normal CRP level, infective endocarditis is extremely unlikely. Irrespective of body temperature, at least three blood cultures (aerobic and anaerobic) should be taken and if initiation of antimicrobial therapy is urgent, 1 h apart before therapy is initiated. Identification of the pathogen to the species level and testing antimicrobial susceptibility to antibiotics by a quantitative hemodilution test, not with agar diffusion tests, are obligatory. A minimum inhibitory concentration should be administered for antibiotics and usual combinations of antibiotics with an expected synergistic potential. Streptococci, staphylococci and enterococci are the most frequent causative organisms. Immediate initiation of transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) is mandatory followed by transesophageal echocardiography if imaging quality is poor, involvement of intracardiac implants is possible or TTE is insufficient to establish the diagnosis. An insufficiently long antimicrobial therapy promotes recurrent infections, thus a 4-week treatment is standard, while in special cases (e.g. PIE) treatment for 6 weeks should be the rule. If typical complications of infective endocarditis, such as uncontrolled local infection, systemic thromboembolism, central nervous involvement, development of a severe valve incompetence or mitral kissing vegetation in primary aortic valve endocarditis occur, urgent surgical intervention should be considered. If cardiac implants are involved, early surgical removal followed by a 6-week antimicrobial treatment is the rule. Adequate and timely diagnosis and treatment are the key to improve the overall prognosis.