Diagnostic methods current best practices and guidelines for isolation of bacteria and fungi in infective endocarditis.

This article addresses the clinical need for accurate detection of bacteria and fungi that may cause infective endocarditis (IE). The pathophysiology of bacteremia during endocarditis is reviewed to provide an understanding of how current diagnostic methods may be used to determine the etiologic diagnosis. The critical contribution of microbiologic findings to the current clinical diagnostic criteria is emphasized. Finally, "best practices" recommendations are presented to optimize the likelihood of reaching a correct etiologic diagnosis while minimizing the number of "culture-negative" cases.