Infective Endocarditis

One of the most time-consuming tasks in clinical medicine is seeking the opinions of specialist colleagues. There is a pressure not only to make referrals appropriate but also to summarize the case in the language of the specialist. This book explains basic physiologic and pathophysiologic mechanisms of cardiovascular disease in a straightforward manner, gives guidelines as to when referral is appropriate, and, uniquely, explains what the specialist is likely to do. It is ideal for any hospital doctor, generalist, or even senior medical student who may need a cardiology opinion, or for that ma.

This reference resource represents the consensus opinion a team of international specialists on the diagnosis and treatment of infective endocarditis (IE), many of whom have been co-authors of American or European guidelines on the topic. It is therefore a useful tool for many practitioners: cardiologists and cardiac imagers, cardiac surgeons, echocardiographers, specialists of internal medicine, neurologists, and infectiologists. ​​​Infective endocarditis (IE) is defined as an infection of the endocardial surface of the heart, which may include one or more heart valves, the mural endocardium, or a septal defect. Its intracardiac effects include severe valvular insufficiency, which may lead to intractable congestive heart failure and myocardial abscesses. If left untreated, IE is generally fatal. IE is a changing disease with new diagnostic techniques, new therapeutic strategies, more frequent elderly people and patients with prosthetic valves of intravenous drug users.

Endocarditis remains an elusive challenge for clinicians to master. As the population ages and their comorbidities increase, the risk of infecting cardiac structures - both native and, the ever-increasing use of, prosthetic support technology - also increases. In addition, the global epidemic of intravenous substance abuse has also resulted in a substantial increase in the number of infected patients. Fortunately, advances in the diagnostic testing, imaging, and recognition of the importance of a multidisciplinary management team have also contributed to advances in the care of these critically ill patients. Nevertheless, optimal therapies need to be individualized and considered in the ever-increasing body of scientific literature on this complex and difficult problem.

The first up-to-date source on the subject in more than a decade, this authoritative and all-encompassing guide summarizes the latest findings on the epidemiology, pathogenesis, pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and treatment of infective endocarditis. Written by a world recognized expert with more than 35 years of experience in

Only current atlas on the topic of infective endocarditis Extensive treatment and diagnostic algorithms in the form of tables and appendices Many never before seen images of high quality

Providing a thorough examination of this disease that causes valvular infection, Infective Endocarditis covers all aspects from the pre-antibiotic era to the current problems of prosthetic valve endocarditis, endocarditis associated with intravenous drug abusers, and the treatment of multiply resistant organisms. The first chapters cover the history of infective endocarditis, from the 15th-Century to the advent of modern antibiotic and surgical therapy for valvular infection. Chapters on epidemiology, microbiology, pathogenesis, pathophysiology, and pathology serve as grounding for the clinical aspects of the disease. Key chapters on clinical correlations, clinical manifestations, diagnosis (including a complete discussion of the use of echocardiograpy), and medical and surgical treatment of endocarditis provide a comprehensive approach to patient care.