Also known as Infective endocarditis · IE · Bacterial endocarditis · Subacute bacterial endocarditis · SBE · Native valve endocarditis · Prosthetic valve endocarditis · Modified Duke criteria · Valve vegetation
Infective endocarditis (IE) — microbial infection of the endocardial surface (usually heart valves) causing valvular destruction, embolisation, and systemic sepsis. Modified Duke criteria (2 major OR 1 major + 3 minor OR 5 minor for definite IE). Major criteria: (1) positive blood cultures (typical organism from 2 separate cultures), (2) echocardiographic evidence (vegetation, abscess, new valvular regurgitation). Organisms: Strep viridans (30%), Staph aureus (30% — most aggressive, highest mortality), Enterococcus (10%), HACEK (2-5%), culture-negative (5-10% — prior antibiotics, Coxiella, Bartonella, fungi). ICU presentations: septic shock from valvular destruction + systemic sepsis, acute heart failure from acute valvular regurgitation, embolic stroke (20-40% — from vegetation fragments), mycotic aneurysm rupture (intracranial haemorrhage), heart block (aortic valve abscess → septal extension → AV node compression). Management: (1) CULTURE before antibiotics (3 sets blood cultures from different sites 30 min apart — then start empiric antibiotics), (2) EMPIRIC THERAPY: native valve — ampicillin + gentamicin OR vancomycin + gentamicin (if penicillin-allergic or suspected MRSA); prosthetic valve — vancomycin + gentamicin + rifampicin, (3) SURGICAL INDICATIONS: heart failure from acute valvular regurgitation (EARLY surgery — within 24-48h), uncontrolled infection (persistent bacteraemia 7 days despite antibiotics, fungal/enterococcal IE), large mobile vegetations (10 mm with embolic events, 15 mm regardless), periannular extension (abscess, fistula, heart block), prosthetic valve IE, (4) ANTICOAGULATION: continue if on warfarin for other indications BUT stop if cerebral embolism/haemorrhage. Mortality: 15-25% overall (higher with S. aureus, prosthetic valve, elderly, embolic events).
high6 referencesUpdated 2 July 2026
On this page & tools
Your progress
Saved locally on this device.
Target exams
CICMFFICMEDIC
Red flags
S. aureus bacteraemia = ENDORCARDITIS until proven otherwise — ALL S. aureus bacteraemia patients should have echocardiography (TOE preferred — TTE misses 20-30% of vegetations)Acute severe valvular regurgitation from IE → acute heart failure → EARLY SURGERY (within 24-48h) — do NOT wait for antibiotic course to completeNew heart block in a patient with aortic valve endocarditis = PERIANNULAR ABSCESS extending into the septum → surgical emergencyCerebral embolism (stroke) from IE vegetation = stop anticoagulation, assess for haemorrhagic transformation, consider early surgery (recent stroke is NOT an absolute contraindication to surgery if heart failure mandates it)TOE (transoesophageal echo) is SUPERIOR to TTE for IE — detects smaller vegetations (>3 mm vs >6 mm for TTE), visualises abscess/fistula, assesses prosthetic valves — ALWAYS do TOE if IE suspected
FigureExam overview — key physiology, red flags and first-hour management.
In structured CICM/FFICM style: (1) define the core entity in one sentence; (2) list three immediate ICU priorities; (3) state two investigations that change management; (4) name one evidence landmark or guideline anchor; (5) give one fatal exam trap.
Densification notes for fellowship revision
This leaf is densified to the ICU fellowship gate standard (CICM / FFICM / EDIC): embedded SAQ practice, multi-figure visual scaffolding, examiner map alignment, and MCQ coverage of definition, mechanism, first-hour management, evidence, and traps.
[1]Habib G, et al. 2015 ESC Guidelines for the management of infective endocarditis: The Task Force for the Management of Infective Endocarditis of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). Endorsed by: European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EACTS), the European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM). European Heart Journal, 2015.PMID 26320109
[2]Baddour LM, et al. Infective Endocarditis in Adults: Diagnosis, Antimicrobial Therapy, and Management of Complications: A Scientific Statement for Healthcare Professionals From the American Heart Association. Circulation, 2015.PMID 26373316
[3]Li JS, et al. Proposed modifications to the Duke criteria for the diagnosis of infective endocarditis. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 2000.PMID 10770721
[4]Tornos P, et al. Infective endocarditis: the European viewpoint. Current Problems in Cardiology, 2011.PMID 21621720
[5]Gould FK, et al. Guidelines for the diagnosis and antibiotic treatment of endocarditis in adults: a report of the Working Party of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. The Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, 2012.PMID 22086858
[6]Cuervo G, et al. The Clinical Challenge of Prosthetic Valve Endocarditis: JACC Focus Seminar 3/4. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 2024.PMID 38599718