Infective endocarditis: prognostic stratification and indications for valve surgery.

Significant advances have been made in the management of infective endocarditis with the advent of antimicrobial therapy, surgery and transesophageal echocardiography, bringing hope to patients suffering from this once uniformly fatal illness. However, recent studies show that the mortality from infective endocarditis is still in the order of 20-30%. The prognostic determinants for adverse outcomes and the indications for surgical therapy in patients with infective endocarditis have recently received renewed attention. Our current understanding of these controversial issues will be reviewed in this paper.