Endocarditis (cont.)Medical Author:
Daniel Lee Kulick, MD, FACC, FSCAI
Daniel Lee Kulick, MD, FACC, FSCAIDr. Kulick received his undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of Southern California, School of Medicine. He performed his residency in internal medicine at the Harbor-University of California Los Angeles Medical Center and a fellowship in the section of cardiology at the Los Angeles County-University of Southern California Medical Center. He is board certified in Internal Medicine and Cardiology. Medical Editor:
Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD
Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MDMelissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology. In this Article
How is endocarditis treated?
Comment on this
The mainstay of treatment is aggressive antibiotics, generally given intravenously, usually for 4-6 weeks. The duration and intensity of treatment depends on the severity of the infection and the type of bacterial organism responsible. In cases where the valve has been severely damaged by the infection, resulting in severe valve dysfunction, surgical replacement of the valve may be necessary. Response to treatment is indicated by a reduction in fever, negative blood bacterial cultures, and findings on echocardiography. Last Editorial Review: 7/9/2007 |
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