01 Epidemiology of COVID-19
Introduction Coronaviruses—thus named for their unique crownlike spikes visible under microscopy—are a diverse class of viruses that are known to cause intestinal and respiratory infections within both bird and mammal…
Multidisciplinary service delivery for the endocarditis patient
Introduction Infective endocarditis (IE) is a morbid disease that requires meticulous clinical assessment and risk stratification in the early stages of illness [ ]. Outcomes are impacted by multiple factors:…
Future directions in infective endocarditis
Introduction The first descriptions of endocarditis appeared in the literature in the 1600s at a time when the anatomy and physiology of the heart was still incompletely characterized [ ]….
Ethical controversies related to the care of an intravenous drug abuser with endocarditis
Introduction Infective endocarditis (IE) is a bacterial or fungal infection of the heart valves and lining that Jean François Fernel first mentioned nearly 500 years ago (1554). William Osler described…
Timing of surgical intervention following acute stroke from infective endocarditis
Introduction Neurologic sequelae are among the most common and devastating complications of infective endocarditis (IE) with an incidence varying between 10% and 75% [ ] and mortality ranging between 20%…
Complex multivalve operations for infective endocarditis
Introduction Infective endocarditis (IE) has remained stable over time, however, the type of IE and rate of surgical intervention has changed. Patients are now more elderly, rheumatic heart disease is…
Surgery for aortic root abscess
Introduction Infective endocarditis can be associated with several clinical and anatomic complications. Among these is aortic root abscess. Aortic root abscess is defined by the presence of necrotic tissue in…
Surgery for native aortic valve infective endocarditis
Introduction Heart valve infections are a quite uncommon pathology with an estimated annual incidence of 3–10 cases in 100,000 in a normal population. With a mortality standing between 15% and…
Surgery for native mitral valve endocarditis
Epidemiology Infective endocarditis of a native valve is relatively rare with the incidence reported as roughly 2–10 cases per 100,000 person-years by several sources [ , ]. However, the burden…
Surgery for right-sided infective endocarditis
Introduction Right-sided infective endocarditis (RSIE) most commonly occurs in the setting of intravenous drug use (IVDU) and has taken on increasing surgical significance as the opioid crisis has driven increased…
