Infectious endocarditis

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Heart, front view

Heart, section through the middle

Infective endocarditis

Janeway lesion on the finger

Endocarditis - infectious

Preventive antibiotics are often given to people at risk for infectious endocarditis before dental procedures or surgeries involving the respiratory, urinary, or intestinal tract. Continued medical follow-up is recommended for people with a previous history of infectious endocarditis.

Intravenous drug users are also at risk for this condition, because unsterile injecting practices increase the exposure of the bloodstream to infectious agents. Treatment for addiction should be sought. If this is not possible, use of a new needle for each injection, avoiding sharing any injection-related paraphernalia, and use of alcohol pads to sterilize the injection site can reduce risk.

Review Date: 05/26/2006
Reviewed By: Monica Gandhi MD, MPH, Assistant Professor, Division of Infectious Diseases, UCSF, San Francisco, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.