Updated recommendations for endocarditis antibiotic prophylaxis summarised from recommendations by the American Heart Association

Abstract

Bacteraemia may occur spontaneously or may complicate a focal infection or surgical/dental procedures. Blood-borne bacteria may lodge on abnormal heart valves or near structural defects or on normal endocardium causing endocarditis. Although relatively uncommon, endocarditis is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality despite improvements in antimicrobial therapy and enhanced ability for early diagno- sis. Hence, primary prevention of endocarditis is extremely important. The following is a summary of the new recommendations for antibiotic prophylaxis by the American Heart Association. These recommendations reflect analyses of the literature regarding procedure-related endocarditis, and are an update of those drawn up in 1990(3), incorporating new data which has become available since that time. Changes from the previous recommendations are also detailed.