Endocarditis: Diagnosis and Management

Despite advances in medical and surgical treatments, infective endocarditis continues to be an important clinical problem. It has an in-hospital mortality of 10–20%, and many patients will require valve surgery during long-term follow-up. Diagnosis is difficult since it is based on a range of findings, none of which alone are pathognomonic. Often unequivocal diagnosis can be made only at surgery or autopsy.

Endocarditis: Diagnosis and Management provides a comprehensive review of the diagnosis and management of endocarditis. It is structured in a practical format and designed to be easy to follow, clinically relevant and evidence based, with emphasis on the key clinical points. These key points are listed in each chapter for quick review.

The Editors and their Contributors provide a comprehensive review of the basic principles of the management of endocarditis. They present the clinical principles supporting effective diagnosis and both medical and surgical treatment approaches. They also focus on difficult clinical scenarios frequently encountered in these patients, each of which are supplemented by a carefully chosen representative case study.

This book is an important resource for clinical information on the diagnosis and management of endocarditis which is vital to all cardiologists, emergency medicine practitioners and intensivists likely to be involved in the care of these patients.