Infective endocarditis: a review and update of a clinical enigma

Infective endocarditis, despite the use of antibiotics and cardiac surgery, remains a life-threatening disease. This harsh reality is attributed to congestive heart failure that comes from incompetence of a normal, defective, or prosthetic valve, or from destruction of the heart itself. Unfortunately, diagnosis and treatment may be delayed. This is due, in part, to the vague and, at times, baffling clinical picture of this disease and to the frequency with which antibiotics are administered prior to obtaining a microbiological diagnosis. Nurses play a pivotal role in the prevention, early recognition, diagnostic work-up, and prompt, effective treatment of this devastating disease and its complications. A review and update of this striking, yet elusive disease is provided in this article. By transferring current knowledge into practice, nurses will be better able to plan, implement, and evaluate the care needed by this unique and challenging patient population.