[Infective endocarditis and outpatient practice].

Abstract

The incidence of infectious endocarditis is fairly stable over the past decades. It is estimated at roughly 3-4 case per patient-year. However, as a consequence of medical progress, Staphylococcus aureus endocarditis has become more prevalent. This is particularly true for health-care associated endocarditis, especially in iv-drug abusers or hemodialysis patients. Mortality (15-20% of patients in the last series) remains high. About 50% of patients undergo surgical treatment, whereas outpatient therapy is more and more frequent for highly selected subgroups of patients without complications and infected with low-risk organims. The present paper reviews in detail the epidemiology of infective endocarditis and discuss in detail the different out-patients therapies.