Infective Endocarditis

Clinical trials for atrial fibrillation treatments often lack diverse patient populations, according to a recently published research letter in JACC: Clinical Electrophysiology. It was the top story in cardiology last week.

Among patients who had transcatheter aortic valve replacement, infective endocarditis was linked to elevated risk for mortality and stroke, researchers reported.

Study findings indicate that an increased scrutiny of surgical outcomes has contributed to an approximately 30% decline in valve surgeries for infective endocarditis, regardless of patients’ injection drug use status — an “unintended consequence” of implementing public reporting of outcomes for aortic valve surgery, researchers said.

High rates of morbidity and mortality after valve replacement surgery were seen in patients with substance use disorder-related infective endocarditis, according to a study published in the Annals of Thoracic Surgery.

Owing to ongoing infection risk, long-term survival for people who inject drugs who are treated for infective endocarditis is low, according to a recently published study.

A hospital in France saw significant reductions in surgical delay, length of in-hospital stays and antibiotic therapy after establishing a multidisciplinary endocarditis team, according to results from an observational study.

Infective endocarditis is an infection of the endocardial surface of the heart involving at least one heart valve.