AHA Scientific Statement Background Infective endocarditis is a potentially lethal disease that has undergone major changes in both host and pathogen. The epidemiology of infective endocarditis has become more complex with today s myriad healthcare- associated factors that predispose to infection. Moreover, changes in pathogen prevalence, in particular a more common staphylococcal origin, have affected outcomes, which have not improved despite medical and surgical advances. Methods and Results This statement updates the 2005 iteration, both of which were developed by the American Heart Association under the auspices of the Committee on Rheumatic Fever, Endocarditis, and Kawasaki Disease, Council on Cardiovascular Disease of theYoung. It includes an evidence-based system for diagnostic and treatment recommendations used by the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association for treatment recommendations. Conclusions Infective endocarditis is a complex disease, and patients with this disease generally require management by a team of physicians and allied health providers with a variety of areas of expertise. The recommendations provided in this document are intended to assist in the management of this uncommon but potentially deadly infection. The clinical variability and complexity in infective endocarditis, however, dictate that these recommendations be used to support and not supplant decisions in individual patient management. Key Words: AHA Scientific Statements anti-infective agents echocardiography endocarditis infection 2015 American Heart Association, Inc. Circulation is available at http://circ.ahajournals.org DOI: 10.1161/CIR.0000000000000296 TheAmerican HeartAssociation makes every effort to avoid any actual or potential conflicts of interest that may arise as a result of an outside relationship or a personal, professional, or business interest of a member of the writing panel. Specifically, all members of the writing group are required to complete and submit a Disclosure Questionnaire showing all such relationships that might be perceived as real or potential conflicts of interest. This statement was approved by the American Heart Association Science Advisory and Coordinating Committee on May 12, 2015, and the American Heart Association Executive Committee on June 12, 2015. A copy of the document is available at http://my.americanheart.org/statements by selecting either the By Topic link or the By Publication Date link. To purchase additional reprints, call 843-216-2533 or e-mail kelle.ramsay@wolterskluwer.com. The American Heart Association requests that this document be cited as follows: Baddour LM, Wilson WR, Bayer AS, Fowler VG Jr, Tleyjeh IM, Rybak MJ, Barsic B, Lockhart PB, Gewitz MH, Levison ME, Bolger AF, Steckelberg JM, Baltimore RS, Fink AM, O Gara P, Taubert KA; on behalf of the American Heart Association Committee on Rheumatic Fever, Endocarditis, and Kawasaki Disease of the Council on Cardiovascular Disease in the Young, Council on Clinical Cardiology, Council on Cardiovascular Surgery and Anesthesia, and Stroke Council. Infective endocarditis in adults: diagnosis, antimicrobial therapy, and management of complications: a scientific statement for healthcare professionals from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2015;132:1435 1486. Expert peer review of AHA Scientific Statements is conducted by the AHA Office of Science Operations. For more on AHA statements and guidelines development, visit http://my.americanheart.org/statements and select the Policies and Development link. Permissions: Multiple copies, modification, alteration, enhancement, and/or distribution of this document are not permitted without the express permission of the American Heart Association. Instructions for obtaining permission are located at http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/General/Copyright- Permission-Guidelines_UCM_300404_Article.jsp. A link to the Copyright Permissions Request Form appears on the right side of the page. Infective Endocarditis in Adults: Diagnosis, Antimicrobial Therapy, and Management of Complications A Scientific Statement for Healthcare Professionals From the American Heart Association Endorsed by the Infectious Diseases Society of America Larry M. Baddour, MD, FAHA, Chair; Walter R. Wilson, MD; Arnold S. Bayer, MD; Vance G. Fowler, Jr, MD, MHS; Imad M. Tleyjeh, MD, MSc; Michael J. Rybak, PharmD, MPH; Bruno Barsic, MD, PhD; Peter B. Lockhart, DDS; Michael H. Gewitz, MD, FAHA; Matthew E. Levison, MD; Ann F. Bolger, MD, FAHA; James M. Steckelberg, MD; Robert S. Baltimore, MD; Anne M. Fink, PhD, RN; Patrick O Gara, MD, FAHA; Kathryn A. Taubert, PhD, FAHA; on behalf of the American Heart Association Committee on Rheumatic Fever, Endocarditis, and Kawasaki Disease of the Council on Cardiovascular Disease in the Young, Council on Clinical Cardiology, Council on Cardiovascular Surgery and Anesthesia, and Stroke Council Infective endocarditis (IE) is an uncommon infectious dis- ease with an annual incidence ranging from 3 to 7 per 100000 person-years in the most contemporary population Although relatively rare, IE continues to be char- acterized by increased morbidity and mortality and is now the third or fourth most common life-threatening infection syndrome, after sepsis, pneumonia, and intra-abdominal abscess. Globally, in 2010, IE was associated with 1.58 mil- lion disability-adjusted life-years or years of healthy life lost as a result of death and nonfatal illness or impairment.4 Epidemiological surveys from France and the International Collaboration on Endocarditis have confirmed that the epide- miological profile of IE has changed substantially. Although the overall IE incidence has remained stable,1,2,5 9 the incidence of IE caused by Staphylococcus aureus has increased, and S aureus is now the most common causative organism in most of the industrialized world. The emergence of S aureus IE is due in part to the increasing importance of healthcare contact as a leading risk associated with infection. Characteristics of IE patients have also shifted toward an increased mean patient age, a higher proportion of prosthetic valves and other car- diac devices, and a decreasing proportion of rheumatic heart disease. Moreover, the proportion of IE patients undergoing surgery has increased over time to reach 50%.1,10,11 In addition to these temporal epidemiological changes, major new findings from multiple diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic studies have been published since the last iteration of the American Heart Association (AHA) statement on diagnosis and management of IE complications was published in 2005.12 For example, the rapid detection of pathogens from valve tissue from patients undergoing surgery for IE by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has been validated. Moreover, diagnostic inno- vations have emerged through new imaging techniques such as 3-dimensional (3D) echocardiography, head-to-toe multislice computed tomography (CT), and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Furthermore, the role of cerebral MRI and magnetic resonance angiography in the diagnosis and manage- ment of IE has been better defined in several studies. In addi- tion, several risk stratification models for quantifying morbidity and mortality in IE patients overall and particularly in those undergoing valve surgeries have been developed and validated. Finally, daptomycin has been evaluated in the treatment of S aureus bacteremia and IE in a randomized, controlled trial.13 Several rigorously conducted observational studies11,14 16 and a randomized, controlled trial17 have examined the impact and timing of valve surgery in IE management. In addition, updated international management guidelines have been published.18,19 The present AHA IE Writing Committee conducted com- prehensive and focused reviews of the literature published between January 2005 and October 2013 to update the previous version of the guidelines. Literature searches of the PubMed/ MEDLINE databases were undertaken to identify pertinent articles. Searches were limited to the English language. The major search terms included endocarditis, infective endocardi- tis, infectious endocarditis, intracardiac, valvular, mural, infec- tion, diagnosis, bacteremia, case definition, epidemiology, risks, demographics, injection drug use, echocardiography, microbiology, culture-negative, therapy, antibiotic, antifungal, antimicrobial, antimicrobial resistance, adverse drug effects, drug monitoring, outcome, meta-analysis, complications, abscess, heart failure, embolic events, stroke, conduction abnormalities, survival, pathogens, organisms, treatment, sur- gery, indications, valve replacement, valve repair, ambulatory care trials, and prevention. In addition, the present statement includes a new section, Surgical Therapy. This work addresses primarily IE in adults; a more detailed review of the unique features of IE in children is available in another statement from the AHA Committee on Rheumatic Fever, Endocarditis, and Kawasaki Disease.20 The committee also published state- ments on endocarditis that complicates electrophysiological (pacemakers, intracardiac defibrillators),21 ventricular assist, and other nonvalvular cardiac devices.22 Evidence-Based System for Diagnostic and Treatment Recommendations The writing group was charged with the task of performing an evidence-based assessment of the data and providing a class of recommendation and a level of evidence for each recom- mendation according to the American College of Cardiology/ AHA classification system (http://circ.ahajournals.org/ manual/manual_IIstep6.shtml). The class of recommendation is an estimate of the size of the treatment effect, considering risks versus benefits, in addition to evidence or agreement that a given treatment or procedure is or is not useful or effective or in some situations may cause harm. The level of evidence is an estimate of the certainty or precision of the treatment effect. The Writing Group reviewed and assessed the strength of evidence supporting each recommendation with the level of evidence ranked as A, B, or C according to the specific defini- tions included in Table 1. For certain conditions for which data were either unavailable or inadequate, recommendations were based on expert consensus and clinical experience, and these were ranked as Level of Evidence C. The scheme for the class of recommendations and levels of evidence is summarized in Table 1, which also provides suggested phrases for writing recommendations within each class of recommendation. Diagnosis The diagnosis of IE is straightforward in the minority of patients who present with a consistent history and classic oslerian manifestations: sustained bacteremia or fungemia, evidence of active valvulitis, peripheral emboli, and immu- nological vascular phenomena. In most patients, however, the textbook history and physical examination findings may be few or absent. Cases with limited manifestations of IE may occur early during IE, particularly among patients who are injection drug users (IDUs), in whom IE is often the result of acute S aureus infection of right-sided heart valves. Acute IE may evolve too quickly for the development of immunologi- cal vascular phenomena, which are more characteristic of the later stages of the more insidious subacute form of untreated IE. In addition, valve lesions in right-sided IE usually do not create the peripheral emboli and immunological vascular phe- nomena that can result from left-sided valvular involvement. Right-sided IE, however, can cause septic pulmonary emboli. The variability in clinical presentation of IE and the importance of early accurate diagnosis require a diagnostic strategy that is both sensitive for disease detection and spe- cific for its exclusion across all forms of the disease. In 1994, Durack and colleagues23 from the Duke University Medical Center proposed a diagnostic schema that stratified patients with suspected IE into 3 categories: definite, possible, and rejected cases (Tables 2 and 3). Baddour et al Infective Endocarditis in Adults 1437 A diagnosis of IE with the original Duke criteria was based on the presence of either major or minor clinical cri- teria (Tables 2 and 3). The Duke criteria gave diagnostic weight to bacteremia with staphylococci or enterococci only, on the basis of the location of acquisition and with- out an apparent primary focus; these types of bacteremia have the highest risk of being associated with IE.23,25,26 The Duke criteria incorporated echocardiographic find- ings into the diagnostic strategy (Tables 2 and 3; see the Echocardiography section). Six common but less specific findings of IE were included as minor criteria in the original Duke schema (Tables 2 and 3). In the mid to late 1990s, direct analyses of the Duke crite- ria were made in 12 major studies27 38 including nearly 1700 patients composed of geographically and clinically diverse groups (adult, pediatric, and older adult [ 60 years of age] patients; patients from the community; IDU and non-IDU patients; and those with both native and prosthetic valves). The confirmed the high sensitivity and specificity of the Duke criteria and the diagnostic utility of echocardiography in identifying clinically definite cases. Moreover, a retrospective study of 410 patients showed good agreement (72% 90%) between the Duke criteria and clinical assessment by infec- tious disease experts blinded to underlying IE risk factors.39 Table 1. Applying Classification of Recommendations and Level of Evidence A recommendation with Level of Evidence B or C does not imply that the recommendation is weak. Many important clinical questions addressed in the guidelines do not lend themselves to clinical trials. Although randomized trials are unavailable, there may be a very clear clinical consensus that a particular test or therapy is useful or effective. *Data available from clinical trials or registries about the usefulness/efficacy in different subpopulations, such as sex, age, history of diabetes, history of prior myocardial infarction, history of heart failure, and prior aspirin use. For comparative effectiveness recommendations (Class I and IIa; Level of Evidence A and B only), studies that support the use of comparator verbs should involve direct comparisons of the treatments or strategies being evaluated. Several refinements have been made to both the major and minor Duke criteria. In the original Duke criteria, bacteremia resulting from S aureus or enterococci was considered to fulfill a major criterion only if it was community acquired because ample literature suggested that this parameter was an important surro- gate marker for underlying IE.27 However, an increasing number of more contemporary studies documented IE in patients experi- encing nosocomial staphylococcal bacteremia. For example, of 59 consecutive patients with S aureus IE, 45.8% had nosocomial infections, and 50.8% had a removable focus of infection.39 In an analysis of 262 patients at the Duke University Medical Center who had hospital-acquired S aureus bacteremia, 34 (13%) were subsequently diagnosed with definite IE. Therefore, the modi- fied Duke criteria (Tables 2 and 3) recommend the inclusion of S aureus bacteremia as a major criterion, regardless of whether the infection is hospital acquired (with or without a removable source of infection) or community acquired.24 Specific serological data have been included in the Duke IE diagnostic schema to establish the pathogenic agents of culture-negative IE more precisely (ie, as a surrogate for positive blood cultures). These serological criteria would be applied in circumstances in which the pathogenic organism is slow growing in routine blood cultures (eg, Brucella spe- cies) or requires special blood culture media (eg, Bartonella species, Legionella species, Tropheryma whipplei, fungi, and Mycobacterium species) or in which the organism is not culturable (eg, Coxiella burnetii, the agent of Q fever). For example, in the original Duke criteria, a positive serology for Q fever was considered a minor microbiological criterion. Subsequently, Fournier et al40 studied 20 pathologically con- firmed cases of Q fever IE. When the original Duke criteria were used, 4 of the 20 patients were classified as having pos- sible IE. When Q fever serological results and a single blood culture positive for C burnetii were considered to be a major criterion, however, each of these 4 cases was reclassified from possible IE to definite IE. On the basis of these data, specific serological data as a surrogate marker for positive blood cul- tures have now been included in the Duke criteria. Thus, an anti phase I immunoglobulin G antibody titer 1:800 or a single blood culture positive for C burnetii should be a major criterion in the modified Duke schema.24 Serological tests and PCR-based testing for other diffi- cult-to-cultivate organisms such as Bartonella quintana or Tropheryma whippelii also have been discussed as future major criteria. At present, there are significant methodologi- cal problems associated with proposing antibody titers that are positive for Bartonella and Chlamydia species or PCR-based testing for T whippelii as a major criterion in the Duke schema. For example, IE caused by Bartonella and Chlamydia species often are indistinguishable in serological test results because Low sensitivity is a major limitation of PCR unless cardiac valvular tissue is available for testing.42 45 Few centers provide timely PCR-based testing for these rare causes of IE. Therefore, the inclusion of these assays as major criteria should be deferred until the serodiagnostic and PCR approaches can be standardized and validated in a sufficient number of cases of these rare types of IE, the aforementioned technical problems are resolved, and the availability of such assays becomes more widespread. The expansion of minor criteria to include elevated eryth- rocyte sedimentation rate or C-reactive protein, the presence of newly diagnosed clubbing, splenomegaly, and microscopic hematuria also has been proposed. In a study of 100 consecu- tive cases of pathologically proven native valve IE (NVE), inclusion of these additional parameters with the existing Duke minor criteria resulted in a 10% increase in the fre- quency of cases being deemed clinically definite, with no loss of specificity. The major limitations of the erythrocyte sedi- mentation rate and C-reactive protein are that they are non- specific and particularly challenging to interpret in patients with comorbid conditions. These additional parameters have not been formally integrated into the modified Duke criteria,24 however, which are universally accepted. One minor criterion from the original Duke schema, echocardiogram consistent with IE but not meeting major criterion, was re-evaluated. This criterion originally was used in cases in which nonspecific valvular thickening was detected by transthoracic echocardiography (TTE). In a reanalysis of patients in the Duke University database (containing records collected prospectively on >800 cases of definite and possible IE since 1984), this echocardiographic criterion was used in only 5% of cases and was never used in the final analysis of any patient who underwent transesophageal echocardiogra- phy (TEE). Therefore, this minor criterion was eliminated in the modified Duke criteria.24 Finally, adjustment of the Duke criteria to require a mini- mum of 1 major plus 1 minor criterion or 3 minor criteria as a floor to designate a case as possible IE (as opposed to findings consistent with IE that fall short of definite but not rejected ) has been incorporated into the modified criteria to reduce the proportion of patients assigned to the IE possible category. This approach was used in a series of patients ini- tially categorized as possible IE by the original Duke criteria. Table 2. Definition of IE According to the Modified Duke Criteria* Definite IE Pathological criteria Microorganisms demonstrated by culture or histological examination of a vegetation, a vegetation that has embolized, or an intracardiac abscess specimen; or pathological lesions; vegetation or intracardiac abscess confirmed by histological examination showing active endocarditis Clinical criteria 2 Major criteria, 1 major criterion and 3 minor criteria, or 5 minor criteria Possible IE 1 Major criterion and 1 minor criterion, or 3 minor criteria Rejected Firm alternative diagnosis explaining evidence of IE; or resolution of IE syndrome with antibiotic therapy for 4 d; or no pathological evidence of IE at surgery or autopsy with antibiotic therapy for 4 d; or does not meet criteria for possible IE as above IE indicates infective endocarditis. Modifications appear in boldface. *These criteria have been universally accepted and are in current use. Reprinted from Li et al24 by permission of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. Copyright 2000, the Infectious Diseases Society of America. Baddour et al Infective Endocarditis in Adults 1439 With the guidance of the diagnostic floor, a number of these cases were reclassified as rejected for IE.24 Follow-up in these reclassified patients documented the specificity of this diagnostic schema because no patients developed IE during the subsequent 12 weeks of observation. Thus, on the basis of the weight of clinical evidence involving nearly 2000 patients in the current literature, it appears that patients suspected of having IE should be clini- cally evaluated, with the modified Duke criteria as the primary diagnostic schema. It should be pointed out that the Duke cri- teria were originally developed to facilitate epidemiological and clinical research efforts so that investigators could com- pare and contrast the clinical features and outcomes of various case series of patients. Extending these criteria to the clinical practice setting has been somewhat more difficult. It should also be emphasized that full application of the Duke criteria requires detailed clinical, microbiological, radiological, and echocardiographic queries. Because IE is a heterogeneous disease with highly variable clinical presentations, the use of these criteria alone will never suffice. Criteria changes that add sensitivity often do so at the expense of specificity and vice versa. The Duke criteria are meant to be a guide for diag- nosing IE and must not replace clinical judgment. Clinicians may appropriately and wisely decide whether or not to treat an individual patient, regardless of whether the patient meets or fails to meet the criteria for definite or possible IE by the Duke criteria. We believe, however, that the modifications of the Duke criteria (Tables 2 and 3) will help investigators who wish to examine the clinical and epidemiological features of IE and will serve as a guide for clinicians struggling with dif- ficult diagnostic problems. These modifications require fur- ther validation among patients who are hospitalized in both community-based and tertiary care hospitals, with particular attention to longer-term follow-up of patients rejected as hav- ing IE because they did not meet the minimal floor criteria for possible IE. The diagnosis of IE must be made as soon as possible to initiate appropriate empirical antibiotic therapy and to iden- tify patients at high risk for complications who may be best managed by early surgery. In cases with a high suspicion of IE based on either the clinical picture or the patient s risk fac- tor profile such as injection drug use, another focus of car- diovascular infection, including catheter-related bloodstream infections caused by S aureus, or a history of previous IE, the presumption of IE often is made before blood culture results are available. Identification of vegetations and incremental valvular insufficiency with echocardiography often com- pletes the diagnostic criteria for IE and affects the duration of therapy. Although the use of case definitions to establish a diagnosis of IE should not replace clinical judgment,46 the recently modified Duke criteria24 have been useful in both epidemiological and clinical trials and in individual patient management. Clinical, echocardiographic, and microbiologi- cal criteria (Tables 2 and 3) are used routinely to support a diagnosis of IE, and they do not rely on histopathological confirmation of resected valvular material or arterial embolus. If suggestive features are absent, then a negative echocardio- gram should prompt a more thorough search for alternative sources of fever and sepsis. In light of these important func- tions, at least 3 sets of blood cultures obtained from separate venipuncture sites should be obtained, with the first and last samples drawn at least 1 hour apart. In addition, echocardiog- raphy should be performed expeditiously in patients suspected of having IE. Recommendations 1. At least 3 sets of blood cultures obtained from dif- ferent venipuncture sites should be obtained, with the first and last samples drawn at least 1 hour apart (Class I; Level of Evidence A). 2. Echocardiography should be performed expedi- tiously in patients suspected of having IE (Class I; Level of Evidence A). Table 3. Definition of Terms Used in the Modified Duke Criteria for the Diagnosis of IE* Major criteria Blood culture positive for IE Typical microorganisms consistent with IE from 2 separate blood cultures: Viridans streptococci, Streptococcus bovis, HACEK group, Staphylococcus aureus; or community-acquired enterococci in the absence of a primary focus, or microorganisms consistent with IE from persistently positive blood cultures defined as follows: at least 2 positive cultures of blood samples drawn >12 h apart or all 3 or a majority of 4 separate cultures of blood (with first and last sample drawn at least 1 h apart) Single positive blood culture for Coxiella burnetii or anti phase 1 IgG antibody titer 1:800 Evidence of endocardial involvement Echocardiogram positive for IE (TEE recommended for patients with prosthetic valves, rated at least possible IE by clinical criteria, or complicated IE [paravalvular abscess]; TTE as first test in other patients) defined as follows: oscillating intracardiac mass on valve or supporting structures, in the path of regurgitant jets, or on implanted material in the absence of an alternative anatomic explanation; abscess; or new partial dehiscence of prosthetic valve or new valvular regurgitation (worsening or changing or pre-existing murmur not sufficient) Minor criteria Predisposition, predisposing heart condition, or IDU Fever, temperature >38 C Vascular phenomena, major arterial emboli, septic pulmonary infarcts, mycotic aneurysm, intracranial hemorrhage, conjunctival hemorrhages, and Janeway lesions Immunological phenomena: glomerulonephritis, Osler nodes, Roth spots, and rheumatoid factor Microbiological evidence: positive blood culture but does not meet a major criterion as noted above (excludes single positive cultures for coagulase- negative staphylococci and organisms that do not cause endocarditis) or serological evidence of active infection with organism consistent with IE Echocardiographic minor criteria eliminated HACEK indicates Haemophilus species, Aggregatibacter species, Cardiobacterium hominis, Eikenella corrodens, and Kingella species; IDU, injection drug use; IE, infective endocarditis; IgG, immunoglobulin G; TEE transesophageal echocardiography; and TTE, transthoracic echocardiography. Modifications appear in boldface. *These criteria have been universally accepted and are in current use. Reprinted from Li et al24 by permission of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. Copyright 2000, the Infectious Diseases Society of America. Echocardiography Echocardiography is central to the diagnosis and management of patients with IE. As previously stated (Table 3), echocar- diographic evidence of an oscillating intracardiac mass or vegetation, an annular abscess, prosthetic valve partial dehis- cence, and new valvular regurgitation are major criteria in the diagnosis of IE. Both TTE and TEE are done in many patients with IE dur- ing initial evaluation and subsequent follow-up and provide complementary information. Therefore, TTE should be done initially in all cases of suspected IE (Figure). If any circum- stances preclude the securing of optimal echocardiographic windows, including chronic obstructive lung disease, previous thoracic or cardiovascular surgery, morbid obesity, or other conditions, then TEE should be performed as soon as pos- sible after TTE. When TTE is negative and clinical suspicion remains low, then other clinical entities should be considered. If TTE shows vegetations but the likelihood of complications is low, then subsequent TEE is unlikely to alter initial medi- cal management. On the other hand, if clinical suspicion of IE or its complications is high (eg, prosthetic valve or new atrioventricular block), then a negative TTE will not definitely rule out IE or its potential complications, and TEE should be performed first. Investigation in adults has shown TEE to be significantly more sensitive than TTE for the detection of veg- etations and abscesses.47 In the setting of a prosthetic valve, transthoracic images are greatly hampered by the structural components of the prosthesis and are inadequate for assess- ment of the perivalvular area where those infections often Although cost-effectiveness calculations suggest that TEE should be the first examination in adults with suspected IE (Table 4), particularly in the setting of staphylococcal bac- many patients are not candidates for immediate TEE because of having eaten within the preceding 6 hours or because the patients are in institutions that cannot provide 24-hour TEE services. When TEE is not clinically possible or must be delayed, early TTE should be performed without delay. Although TTE will not definitively exclude vegeta- tions or abscesses, it will allow identification of very-high- risk patients, establish the diagnosis in many, and guide early treatment decisions. Although interesting results suggest that there may be a high negative predictive value of TTE in some further work is needed to better define the subgroup of patients with bloodstream infection caused by S aureus who need only TTE to evaluate for IE. Many findings identified by TEE also can be detected on TTE. Concurrent TTE images can serve as a baseline for rapid and noninvasive comparison of vegetation size, valvular insufficiency, or change in abscess cavities during the course of the patient s treatment should clinical dete- rioration occur. For tricuspid vegetations or abnormalities of the right ventricular outflow tract, visualization may be enhanced by choosing TTE rather than TEE.52 Finally, many cardiologists believe TTE is superior to TEE for quantifying hemodynamic dysfunction manifested by valvular regurgi- tation, ventricular dysfunction, and elevated left and right ventricular filling pressures and pulmonary artery pressure. These echocardiographic findings can occur in patients who have no heart failure symptoms. Both TEE and TTE may produce false-negative results if vegetations are small or have embolized.53 Even TEE may miss initial perivalvular abscesses, particularly when the study is performed early in the patient s illness.54 In such cases, the Figure. An approach to the diagnostic use of echocardiography (echo). Rx indicates prescription; TEE, transesophageal echocardiography; and TTE, transthoracic echocardiography. *For example, a patient with fever and a previously known heart murmur and no other stigmata of infective endocarditis (IE). High initial patient risks include prosthetic heart valves, many congenital heart diseases, previous endocarditis, new murmur, heart failure, or other stigmata of endocarditis. High-risk echocardiographic features include large or mobile vegetations, valvular insufficiency, suggestion of perivalvular extension, or secondary ventricular dysfunction (see text). Modified from Baddour et al.12 Copyright 2005, American Heart Association, Inc. Baddour et al Infective Endocarditis in Adults 1441 incipient abscess may be seen only as nonspecific perivalvu- lar thickening, which on repeat imaging across several days may become more recognizable as it expands and develops a cavity. Similarly, perivalvular fistulas and pseudoaneurysms develop over time, and negative early TEE images do not exclude the potential for their development. False-positive results from TEE or TTE studies may occur when valvular abnormalities are seen that may not be related to a current infection. Previous scarring, severe myxomatous change, and even normal structures such as Lambl excres- cences may be indistinguishable from active changes in the valves. As echocardiographic technology improves with higher frequencies and refined beam-forming technology, subtle findings continue to be recognized and may add to the category of indeterminate findings. One approach to minimiz- ing confusion from these latter structures is to exploit the high frame rates that are often available with current equipment to improve temporal resolution and to clearly visualize rap- idly moving structures such as microcavities from prosthetic valves or fibrillar components. Several echocardiographic features identify patients at high risk for a complicated course or with a need for surgery (Table 5). These features include large (>10 mm in diameter) vegetations, severe valvular insufficiency, abscess cavities or pseudoaneurysms, valvular perforation or dehiscence, and evidence of decompensated heart failure.21 The ability of echo- cardiographic features to predict embolic events is limited.55 57 The greatest risk of embolic complications appears to occur with large ( 10 mm) vegetations on the anterior mitral leaf- Vegetation size and mobility may be taken into account, along with bacteriological factors and other indications for surgery, when considering early surgery to avoid emboliza- tion, although mobility characteristics alone should not be the principal driver as a surgical indication.59 Recommendation 1. TTE should be performed in all cases of suspected IE (Class I; Level of Evidence B). Repeat Echocardiography If the initial TTE images are negative and the diagnosis of IE is still being considered, then TEE should be performed as soon as possible (Table 4). Among patients with an initially positive TTE and a high risk for intracardiac complications, including perivalvular extension of infection, TEE should be obtained as soon as possible. Repeating the TEE in 3 to 5 days (or sooner if clinical findings change) after an initial negative result is recommended when clinical suspicion of IE In some cases, vegetations may reach a detectable size in the interval, or abscess cavities or fistulous tracts may become evident. An interval increase in vegetation size on serial echocardiography despite the administration of appro- priate antibiotic therapy has serious implications and has been associated with an increased risk of complications and the need for surgery.60 Repeat TEE should be done when a patient with an initially positive TEE develops worrisome clinical features during antibiotic therapy. These features, including unexplained progression of heart failure symptoms, change in cardiac murmurs, and new atrioventricular block or arrhyth- mia, should prompt emergent evaluation by TEE if possible. Recommendations 1. TEE should be done if initial TTE images are nega- tive or inadequate in patients for whom there is an ongoing suspicion for IE or when there is concern for intracardiac complications in patients with an initial positive TTE (Class I; Level of Evidence B). 2. If there is a high suspicion of IE despite an initial negative TEE, then a repeat TEE is recommended in 3 to 5 days or sooner if clinical findings change (Class I; Level of Evidence B). 3. Repeat TEE should be done after an initially posi- tive TEE if clinical features suggest a new develop- ment of intracardiac complications (Class I; Level of Evidence B). Intraoperative Echocardiography Preoperative surgical planning for patients with IE will ben- efit from echocardiographic delineation of the mechanisms of valvular dysfunction or regions of myocardial abscess forma- tion (Table 5). The use of aortic homografts is facilitated by preoperative estimates of annular size, which allow the selec- tion of appropriately sized donor tissues.61,62 Intraoperatively, echocardiographic goals include assessment of not only Table 4. Use of Echocardiography During Diagnosis and Treatment of Endocarditis Early Echocardiography as soon as possible (<12 h after initial evaluation) TEE preferred; obtain TTE views of any abnormal findings for later comparison TTE if TEE is not immediately available TTE may be sufficient in small children Repeat echocardiography TEE after positive TTE as soon as possible in patients at high risk for complications TEE 3 5 d after initial TEE if suspicion exists without diagnosis of IE or with worrisome clinical course during early treatment of IE Intraoperative Prepump Identification of vegetations, mechanism of regurgitation, abscesses, fistulas, and pseudoaneurysms Postpump Confirmation of successful repair of abnormal findings Assessment of residual valve dysfunction Elevated afterload if necessary to avoid underestimating valve insufficiency or presence of residual abnormal flow Completion of therapy Establish new baseline for valve function and morphology and ventricular size and function TTE usually adequate; TEE or review of intraoperative TEE may be needed for complex anatomy to establish new baseline TEE indicates transesophageal echocardiography; and TTE, transthoracic echocardiography. the obviously dysfunctional valve but also the other valves and contiguous structures. Post cardiopulmonary bypass images should confirm the adequacy of the repair or replace- ment and document the successful closure of fistulous tracts. Perivalvular leaks related to technical factors should be docu- mented to avoid later confusion about whether such leaks are the result of recurrent infection. During postpump imaging, it is often necessary to augment afterload to reach representative ambulatory levels to avoid underestimation of regurgitant jet size and significance and to ensure that abnormal communi- cations were closed.63 Afterload augmentation, however, may not mimic actual awake physiology and may still lead occa- sionally to an inaccurate evaluation of the awake postopera- tive hemodynamic state. Echocardiography at the Completion of Therapy All patients who have experienced an episode of IE remain at increased risk for recurrent infection indefinitely. Many believe that it is extremely important for the future care of these patients to establish a new baseline for valvular morphology, including the presence of vegetations and valvular insufficiency, once treatment has been completed. Documentation of heart rate, heart rhythm, and blood pres- sure at the time of echocardiographic study is important because changes in these conditions may explain future differences in valvular insufficiency independent of pathol- ogy (Table 4). TTE is reasonable for this evaluation because spectral Doppler interrogation for functionality metrics is more thorough than TEE. TEE, however, may be mer- ited to define the new baseline in some patients with poor acoustic windows or complicated anatomy such as after extensive debridement and reconstruction. Although intra- operative postpump TEE views may be adequate for this new baseline, they should be reviewed for adequacy and repeated if necessary. Some patients will have significant valvular dysfunction at the end of otherwise successful antimicrobial treatment that will require eventual valvular surgery. Posttreatment echocardiography can guide both medical management and the discussion of the appropriate timing of such interventions. Recommendation 1. TTE at the time of antimicrobial therapy comple- tion to establish baseline features is reasonable (Class IIa; Level of Evidence C). 3D Echocardiography and Other Imaging Modalities Although newer imaging modalities are undergoing pre- liminary evaluation, echocardiography will continue to be pivotal in patients with IE for the foreseeable future. In this regard, early investigations64,65 of 3D TEE have demonstrated advantages over 2-dimensional TEE (which is routinely used) to better detect and delineate vegetations and to identify IE complications and their relationships with surrounding struc- tures. Unfortunately, the lower temporal and lateral resolu- tion with 3D echocardiography compared with 2-dimensional echocardiography leads to an overestimation of vegetation size and technically challenging visualization of fast-moving structures. Although cardiac CT is used principally to evaluate great vessels and coronary artery disease, there may be a role for in cases of IE in which definitive evidence of IE and its complications is not secured with TEE. Moreover, coronary CT angiography can provide coronary artery evalu- ation in patients who are to undergo cardiac surgery for IE complications. In addition, this methodology may be useful in head-to-toe preoperative screening, including evaluation for central nervous system (CNS) lesions, and in intra-abdominal lesions (eg, silent splenic abscesses). Limitations include the associated exposure to radiation, nephrotoxicity associated with contrast dye, and relative lack of sensitivity in 1 study to demonstrate valve perforations.67 MRI has had a major impact on IE diagnosis and manage- ment, especially as a tool to detect cerebral embolic events, many of which are clinically silent.69 Indications for the rou- tine use of MRI and magnetic resonance angiography in IE management, however, are not well established. Comments related to mycotic or infectious aneurysms are provided in a later section of this document. More study is needed to define the utility of 18 F-fluoro deoxyglucose positron emission tomography/CT in the diag- nosis and management of IE. In a prospective study of 25 IE F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/ CT was useful in identifying peripheral embolization in 11 patients and in detecting IE extracardiac manifestations in 7 patients who did not demonstrate any clinical manifestations The use of multimodality imaging in IE may increase in the future as the risks and benefits of each diagnostic tool are Table 5. Clinical and Echocardiographic Features That Suggest Potential Need for Surgical Intervention Vegetation Persistent vegetation after systemic embolization Anterior mitral leaflet vegetation, particularly with size >10 mm* 1 Embolic events during first 2 wk of antimicrobial therapy* Increase in vegetation size despite appropriate antimicrobial therapy* Valvular dysfunction Acute aortic or mitral insufficiency with signs of ventricular failure Heart failure unresponsive to medical therapy Valve perforation or rupture Perivalvular extension Valvular dehiscence, rupture, or fistula New heart block Large abscess or extension of abscess despite appropriate antimicrobial therapy See text for a more complete discussion of indications for surgery based on vegetation characterizations. *Surgery may be required because of risk of embolization. Surgery may be required because of heart failure or failure of medical therapy. Echocardiography should not be the primary modality used to detect or monitor heart block. Baddour et al Infective Endocarditis in Adults 1443 Antimicrobial Therapy Therapeutic Principles The primary goal of antibiotic treatment is to eradicate infection, including sterilizing vegetations, although the unique character- istics of infected vegetations can pose a variety of challenges. These characteristics include focal infection with high bacterial density, slow rate of bacterial growth within biofilms, and low microorganism metabolic activity.72 Host characteristics such as impaired immunity also contribute to challenges in thera- peutics. In addition, antibiotics may fail to eradicate infection as a result of increased binding of the drug to serum proteins, perturbations of antibiotic penetration into the vegetation, and unique antibiotic pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) features. Therefore, prolonged, parenteral, bactericidal therapy is required for attempted infection cure. Inoculum Effect The effect of high bacterial densities on antimicrobial activ- ity is called the inoculum effect in which certain groups of antimicrobials commonly used to treat IE such as -lactams and glycopeptides (and, to a lesser extent, lipopeptides such as daptomycin) are less active against highly dense Therefore, the effective mini- mum inhibitory concentration (MIC) at the site of infection with bacterial densities of 108 colony-forming units per 1 g tissue can be much higher than anticipated by in vitro susceptibility tests that use a standard inoculum (105.5 colony-forming units per milliliter). In addition, bacteria that are otherwise killed at low densities by bactericidal antibiotics such as penicillins can be relatively resistant to or tolerant of their bactericidal effect in dense populations. An inoculum effect has been demonstrated with penicillin versus streptococci in both in vitro and animal models. For example, the curative dose of penicillin for streptococcal infections in animal models has been shown to increase markedly with the number of organisms inoculated and the duration of the infection, presumably because of the interim increase in the number of organisms in the infected In addition, the stationary growth-phase conditions make it less likely that bacterial cell wall active antibiotics ( -lactams and glycopeptides) are optimally effective.77 79 Stationary-phase organisms have been associated with a loss of penicillin-binding proteins that are the active tar- get sites required for -lactam antibacterial activity. This loss of penicillin-binding proteins during stationary-phase growth may be responsible in part for the inoculum effect observed in vivo and may account for the failure of penicil- lin in both experimental and human cases of severe strep- Importantly, fluoroquinolones and aminoglycoside antibiotics are less affected by the size of the inoculum because of their different mechanisms of bac- An inoculum effect also occurs with -lactamase susceptible -lactam antibiotics versus -lactamase producing bacteria, presumably because more -lactamase is present in denser -lactamase producing bacterial populations, as observed in vitro with some enterococci,83 and Gram- ; in animal models of experimental IE86,87 ; High inocula are also more likely to have antibiotic-resis- tant subpopulations that can emerge in the setting of antibiotic therapy. For example, in an in vitro PD model, the activity of vancomycin against heterogeneous vancomycin-intermediate S aureus (hVISA) and non-hVISA isolates was reduced in the presence of a high inoculum amount (108 colony-forming units per milliliter).75 Bactericidal Drugs Data from animal models of IE and clinical investigations support the need for bactericidal antibiotics to sterilize veg- etations in IE with high bacterial densities.89 For enterococci, bactericidal activity can be achieved by the combination of certain -lactam antibiotics (eg, penicillin, ampicillin, and piperacillin) with an aminoglycoside. The bactericidal effect achieved by a combination of antibacterial drugs that alone only inhibit bacterial growth is called synergy. The rate of bactericidal activity against some other organisms can also be enhanced by a combination of a -lactam antibiotic plus an aminoglycoside. Duration of Antimicrobial Therapy The duration of therapy in IE must be sufficient to ensure complete eradication of microorganisms within vegetations. Prolonged therapy is necessary because of the high bacterial densities within vegetations and the relatively slow bacteri- cidal activity of some antibiotics such as -lactams and van- comycin. When the bactericidal activity is known to be more rapid or the likely vegetation bacterial burden is lower, then the clinician may prescribe a shorter duration of antimicro- bial therapy in unique instances. Combination therapy with penicillin or ceftriaxone and an aminoglycoside for 2 weeks is highly effective in viridans group streptococci (VGS) IE90 in very select patients with uncomplicated infection. Both -lactam therapy alone and combination therapy with nafcil- lin and an aminoglycoside for only 2 weeks have been effec- tive in patients with uncomplicated right-sided IE caused by S ; monotherapy with a -lactam would be selected for use in cases of uncomplicated IE.92 Of interest, right-sided vegetations tend to have lower bacterial densities, which may result from host defense mech- anisms, including polymorphonuclear activity or platelet- derived antibacterial cationic peptides.90,91,93 Drug Penetration The penetration of antibiotics is a significant issue in the treatment of IE because cardiac vegetations, which are com- posed of layers of fibrin and platelets, pose a considerable mechanical barrier between the antibiotic and the embedded The efficacy of antimicrobial drugs varies, depending on the degree of penetration into the vegetation, pattern of distribution within the vegetation, and Patterns of diffusion differ by class of anti- biotic, which may have implications for therapeutic outcomes in patients being treated for IE.98 100 PK/PD and Dosing Implications in IE In the design of dose regimens for the treatment of IE, it is important to fully optimize the PK/PD parameter for the selected antibiotic to increase the likelihood of success and to decrease the potential for developing resistance.101 Antibiotic PK/PD is related to both PK and microorganism susceptibility to the drug.102 With the use of in vitro and in vivo evaluations, antibiotics are categorized on the basis of whether they possess concentration-dependent or time- dependent effects on microorganisms and on the basis of 4 common PK/PD parameters that predict antibiotic efficacy: the ratio of the maximum serum concentration to the MIC, the ratio of the area under the 24-hour plasma concentra- tion-time curve to the MIC (AUC24 /MIC), the duration of time that the serum concentration exceeds the MIC, and the duration of the postantibiotic effect.101,103 More detailed discussion of the calculation of these parameters has been Whereas both the ratio of maximum serum concentra- tion to MIC and the AUC24 /MIC ratio have been shown to predict efficacy as the optimized PD parameters for ami- noglycoside, fluoroquinolone, and daptomycin therapy, the /MIC is the optimized PD activity for glycopeptides such as vancomycin, teicoplanin, telavancin, oritavancin, and lipopeptides such as daptomycin. -Lactam efficacy, in contrast, is best predicted by the percent duration of time that the serum concentration exceeds the MIC.102 For peni- cillins and cephalosporins to achieve a bacteriostatic effect in a murine model, the time the free drug must exceed the MIC is 35% to 40% of the dosing interval, whereas a bac- tericidal response requires 60% to 70% of the dosing inter- Two retrospective studies examined the continuous infusion of 2 -lactams (cefazolin and oxacillin) for meth- icillin-sensitive S aureus (MSSA) infections, including IE, with results supporting continuous infusion of these drugs. More study is needed, however, before a strong recommen- dation can be made.105,106 For concentration-dependent antibiotics such as amino- glycosides and fluoroquinolones, a ratio of maximum serum concentration to MIC of >10 was associated with improved efficacy in patients with Gram-negative pneumonia, whereas /MIC >125 was associated with an improved clini- cal efficacy for ciprofloxacin against infections caused by Liu et al109 demonstrated that the minimal AUC24 /MIC requirement for daptomycin with an 80% kill efficacy in a S aureus infection mouse model was 250, which would be easily achieved by the recommended for complicated bacteremia, including right-sided IE. Some experts have recommended daptomycin doses of 8 for the treatment of complicated methicillin- resistant S aureus (MRSA) bacteremia, particularly IE. This recommendation is based on the concentration-dependent properties of daptomycin, improved efficacy for infections caused by organisms with reduced susceptibility to dapto- mycin, and an attempt to reduce the emergence of resistance to daptomycin after vancomycin therapy.110 The evidence for these recommendations has come largely from in vitro PK/PD models using high-inoculum simulated endocardial vegeta- tions with S aureus111 and enterococci and from animal mod- els of IE.112 With regard to vancomycin, an AUC24 /MIC 400 is rec- ommended as the targeted PK/PD parameter for patients with serious S aureus infections.112 In an evaluation of 320 MRSA patients with complicated bacteremia, including IE, Kullar et al113 demonstrated that an AUC24 /MIC >421 was significantly associated with improved patient outcomes. /MIC ratio was associated with trough serum concentrations >15 mg/L, attainable if the vancomycin MIC was <1 mg/L. Antimicrobial Treatment Perspectives In many cases, the initial therapy of IE is empirical; typi- cally, results of blood cultures are monitored for hours to days until a pathogen is identified. During this time, empiri- cal antimicrobial therapy is administered with the expectation that the regimen will be revised once a pathogen is defined and susceptibility results are obtained. The selection of an optimal empiric regimen is usually broad and is based on fac- tors that relate to patient characteristics, prior antimicrobial exposures and microbiological findings, and epidemiological features. Therefore, infectious diseases consultation should occur at the time of empirical therapy initiation to help define because the selection of a regimen is highly variable. In this regard, please refer the Culture-Negative Endocarditis section of this statement and the related Table 6 for additional details. Results of clinical efficacy studies support the use of most treatment regimens described in these guidelines. Other recommendations listed in this section are based largely on in vitro data and consensus opinion and include the following management considerations. It is reasonable for the counting of days for the duration of therapy to begin on the first day on which blood cultures are negative in cases in which blood cultures were initially positive. It is reasonable to obtain 2 sets of blood cultures every 24 to 48 hours until bloodstream infection is cleared. However, if a patient undergoes valve surgery and the resected valve tissue is culture positive or a perivalvular abscess is found, then an entire course of antimicrobial therapy is reasonable after valve surgery. If the resected tissue is culture negative, then it may be reasonable for the duration of postoperative treatment given less the number of days of treatment admin- istered for native valve infection before valve replacement. This, however, has been challenged by retrospectively col- lected data from 2 different medical centers116,117 that sug- gest that 2 weeks of antibiotic therapy may be sufficient in patients who undergo valve surgery and have negative valve tissue cultures, particularly in IE cases caused by VGS or Streptococcus gallolyticus (bovis). Whether a 2-week treatment course would be sufficient after valve sur- gery in patients with positive valve cultures either was not or included only 5 patients in the Histopathological evidence of bacteria with valve tissue Gram staining in patients with negative tissue cul- tures can represent killed organisms and is not a factor in defining the length of therapy after valve surgery.110 For patients with NVE who undergo valve resection with prosthetic valve replacement or repair with an annuloplasty ring, there is a lack of consensus as to whether the postopera- tive treatment regimen should be one that is recommended for prosthetic valve treatment rather than one that is recommended Baddour et al Infective Endocarditis in Adults 1445 for native valve treatment. In regimens that contain combi- nation antimicrobial therapy, it is reasonable to administer agents at the same time or temporally close together to maxi- mize the synergistic killing effect on an infecting pathogen. Recommendations 1. Infectious diseases consultation should be obtained to define an optimal empirical treatment regimen at the time of initiation of antimicrobial therapy (Class I; Level of Evidence B). 2. It is reasonable that the counting of days for the duration of antimicrobial therapy begin on the first day on which blood cultures are negative in cases in which blood cultures were initially positive (Class IIa; Level of Evidence C). 3. It is reasonable to obtain at least 2 sets of blood cul- tures every 24 to 48 hours until bloodstream infec- tion has cleared (Class IIa; Level of Evidence C). 4. If operative tissue cultures are positive, then an entire antimicrobial course is reasonable after valve surgery (Class IIa; Level of Evidence B). 5. If operative tissue cultures are negative, it may be reasonable to count the number of days of anti- microbial therapy administered before surgery in the overall duration of therapy (Class IIb; Level of Evidence C). 6. It is reasonable to time the administration of antimi- crobial therapy at the same time or temporally close together for regimens that include >1 antimicrobial agent (Class IIa; Level of Evidence C). Dog or cat exposure Bartonella sp Pasteurella sp Capnocytophaga sp Contact with contaminated milk or infected farm animals Brucella sp Coxiella burnetii Erysipelothrix sp Homeless, body lice Bartonella sp AIDS Salmonella sp S pneumoniae S aureus Pneumonia, meningitis S pneumoniae Solid organ transplantation S aureus Aspergillus fumigatus Enterococcus sp Candida sp Gastrointestinal lesions S gallolyticus (bovis) Enterococcus sp Clostridium septicum HACEK indicates Haemophilus species, Aggregatibacter species, Cardiobacterium hominis, Eikenella corrodens, and Kingella species; IDU, injection drug use; and VGS, viridans group streptococci. Table 6. Epidemiological Clues That May be Helpful in Defining the Etiological Diagnosis of Culture-Negative Endocarditis Epidemiological Feature Common Microorganism IDU S aureus, including community-acquired oxacillin-resistant strains Coagulase-negative staphylococci -Hemolytic streptococci Fungi Aerobic Gram-negative bacilli, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa Polymicrobial Indwelling cardiovascular medical devices S aureus Coagulase-negative staphylococci Fungi Aerobic Gram-negative bacilli Corynebacterium sp Genitourinary disorders, infection, and manipulation, including pregnancy, delivery, and abortion Enterococcus sp Group B streptococci (S agalactiae) Listeria monocytogenes Aerobic Gram-negative bacilli Neisseria gonorrhoeae Chronic skin disorders, including recurrent infections S aureus -Hemolytic streptococci Poor dental health, dental procedures VGS Nutritionally variant streptococci Abiotrophia defectiva Granulicatella sp Gemella sp HACEK organisms Alcoholism, cirrhosis Bartonella sp Aeromonas sp Listeria sp S pneumoniae -Hemolytic streptococci Burn S aureus Aerobic Gram-negative bacilli, including P aeruginosa Fungi Diabetes mellitus S aureus -Hemolytic streptococci S pneumoniae Early ( 1 y) prosthetic valve placement Coagulase-negative staphylococci S aureus Aerobic Gram-negative bacilli Fungi Corynebacterium sp Legionella sp Late (>1 y) prosthetic valve placement Coagulase-negative staphylococci S aureus Viridans group streptococci Enterococcus species Fungi Corynebacterium sp (Continued) Table 6. Continued Epidemiological Feature Common Microorganism Overview of VGS, Streptococcus gallolyticus (Formerly Known as Streptococcus bovis), Abiotrophia defectiva, and Granulicatella Species VGS are common pathogenic agents in community-acquired NVE in patients who are not IDUs. The taxonomy of VGS is evolving. The species that most commonly cause IE are S sanguis, S oralis (mitis), S salivarius, S mutans, and Gemella morbillorum (formerly called S morbillorum). Members of the S anginosus group (S intermedius, angi- nosus, and constellatus) also have been referred to as the S milleri group, and this has caused some confusion. In contrast to other -hemolytic streptococcal species, the S anginosus group tends to form abscesses and to cause hematogenously disseminated infection (eg, myocardial and visceral abscesses, septic arthritis, and vertebral osteomy- elitis). In addition, although the S anginosus group usually is sensitive to penicillin, some strains may exhibit variable penicillin resistance. The recommendations that follow are intended to assist clinicians in selecting appropriate antimi- crobial therapy for patients with IE caused by VGS and S gallolyticus (bovis, a nonenterococcal penicillin-susceptible group D Streptococcus). S gallolyticus (bovis) expresses the group D antigen, but it can be distinguished from group D Enterococcus by appropriate biochemical tests. Patients with either S gallolyticus (bovis) bacteremia or IE should undergo a colonoscopy to determine whether malignancy or other mucosal lesions are present. Certain VGS have biological characteristics that may com- plicate diagnosis and therapy. A defectiva and Granulicatella species (G elegans, G adiacens, G paraadiacens, and G balaenopterae), formerly known as nutritionally variant strep- tococci, are detected by automated blood culture systems but may yield pleomorphic forms by Gram stain and will not grow on subculture unless chocolate agar or other media supple- mented with pyridoxal or cysteine is used. Treatment regimens outlined for VGS, A. defectiva, and Granulicatella species are subdivided into categories based on penicillin MIC data. Native Valve Highly Penicillin-Susceptible VGS and S gallolyticus (bovis) (MIC 0.12 g/mL) Bacteriological cure rates 98% may be anticipated in patients who complete 4 weeks of therapy with parenteral penicillin or ceftriaxone for IE caused by highly penicillin-susceptible VGS or S gallolyticus (bovis)118,119 (Table 7). Ampicillin is a reasonable alternative to penicillin and has been used when penicillin is not available because of supply deficiencies. The addition of gentamicin sulfate to penicillin exerts a synergistic killing effect in vitro on VGS and S gallolyticus (bovis). The combination of penicillin or ceftriaxone with gentamicin results in synergistic killing in animal models of VGS or S gallolyticus (bovis) experimental IE. In selected patients, treatment with a 2-week regimen with either penicil- lin or ceftriaxone combined with an aminoglycoside resulted in cure rates that are similar to those after monotherapy with penicillin or ceftriaxone administered for 4 weeks.83,120 Studies performed in Europe, South America, and the United States demonstrated that the combination of once-daily ceftriaxone with either netilmicin or gentamicin administered once daily was equivalent in efficacy to 2 weeks of therapy with peni- cillin with an aminoglycoside administered in daily divided The 2-week regimen of penicillin or ceftriaxone combined with single daily-dose gentamicin is reasonable for uncomplicated cases of IE caused by highly penicillin-suscep- tible VGS or S gallolyticus (bovis) in patients at low risk for adverse events caused by gentamicin therapy (Table 7). This 2-week regimen is not recommended for patients with known extracardiac infection or those with a creatinine clearance of <20 mL/min. Although the two, 4-week -lactam containing regi- mens shown in Table 7 produce similar outcomes, each regi- men has advantages and disadvantages. Monotherapy with either penicillin or ceftriaxone for 4 weeks avoids the use of gentamicin, which is potentially ototoxic and nephrotoxic. Compared with penicillin, the advantage of once-daily cef- triaxone is its simplicity for use in therapy administered to Both penicillin and ceftriaxone are overall well tolerated but, like all antimicrobials, have the potential for causing adverse drug events; some of the more common ones include rash, fever, diarrhea, and neutropenia. Liver function abnormalities can be seen with ceftriaxone use and are sometimes associated with sludging of drug in the For patients who are unable to tolerate penicillin or ceftriax- one, vancomycin is a reasonably effective alternative. Prolonged intravenous use of vancomycin may be complicated by throm- bophlebitis, rash, fever, neutropenia, and rarely ototoxic reac- tions. The likelihood of red man syndrome is reduced with an infusion of vancomycin over 1 hour. Desired trough vancomy- cin levels should range between 10 and 15 g/mL. Recommendations 1. Both aqueous crystalline penicillin G and ceftriax- one are reasonable options for a 4-week treatment duration (Class IIa; Level of Evidence B). 2. A 2-week treatment regimen that includes gentami- cin is reasonable in patients with uncomplicated IE, rapid response to therapy, and no underlying renal disease (Class IIa; Level of Evidence B). 3. Vancomycin for a 4-week treatment duration is a reasonable alternative in patients who cannot tol- erate penicillin or ceftriaxone therapy (Class IIa; Level of Evidence B). 4. The desired trough vancomycin level should range between 10 and 15 g/mL (Class I; Level of Evidence C). Relatively Penicillin-Resistant VGS and S gallolyticus (bovis) (MIC >0.12 <0.5 g/mL) Penicillin resistance in vitro occurs among some strains of VGS and S gallolyticus (bovis). To date, however, the num- ber of IE cases that have been reported as a result of VGS or S gallolyticus (bovis) strains that harbor any degree of penicil- lin resistance is small.123 126 Therefore, it is difficult to define the optimal treatment strategies for this group of patients. Baddour et al Infective Endocarditis in Adults 1447 Table 8 shows regimens for treatment of NVE caused by rel- atively penicillin-resistant strains (MIC >0.12 <0.5 g/mL). For patients with VGS or S gallolyticus (bovis) IE caused by these relatively resistant strains, it is reasonable to admin- ister penicillin for 4 weeks, together with single daily-dose gentamicin for the first 2 weeks of treatment. Ampicillin is a reasonable alternative to penicillin if shortages of penicillin exist. If the isolate is ceftriaxone susceptible, then ceftriaxone alone may be considered (Class IIb; Level of Evidence C). Vancomycin alone may be a reasonable alternative if the patient is intolerant of -lactam therapy (Class IIb; Level of Evidence C). Consultation with an infectious diseases special- ist is encouraged in both of these scenarios. Recommendations 1. It is reasonable to administer penicillin for 4 weeks with single daily-dose gentamicin for the first 2 weeks of therapy (Class IIa; Level of Evidence B). 2. If the isolate is ceftriaxone susceptible, then ceftri- axone alone may be considered (Class IIb; Level of Evidence C). 3. Vancomycin alone may be a reasonable alternative in patients who are intolerant of -lactam therapy (Class IIa; Level of Evidence C). A defectiva and Granulicatella Species and VGS With a Penicillin MIC 0.5 g/mL The determination of antimicrobial susceptibilities of A defec- tiva and Granulicatella species (both formerly known as nutri- tionally variant streptococci) is often technically difficult, and the results may not be accurate. Moreover, IE caused by these microorganisms is uncommon and has been more difficult to cure microbiologically compared with IE caused by a strain of For these reasons, in patients with IE caused by A defectiva and Granulicatella species, it is reasonable to administer a combination regimen that includes ampicillin (12 g/d in divided doses) or penicillin (18 30 mil- lion U/D in divided doses or by continuous infusion) plus gen- in 2 3 divided doses) with infectious diseases consultation to determine length of therapy. 