Experience with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole in treatment of infective endocarditis

The published experience with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMZ) for treatment of infective endocarditis was reviewed. Among 62 cases, a high proportion had unusual causative organisms: 60% of cases were due to Coxiella burnetii or Pseudomonas species. Only 17% of patients had previously normal cardiac valves. Patients often had complicated courses in which TMP-SMZ was tried only after other treatment regimens had failed, yet a successful outcome was achieved in 61% of cases. Thirty-five patients were treated with antibiotics alone, while the other 27 patients required combined medical and surgical management. TMP-SMZ has a limited role in the management of infective endocarditis; specific guidelines for its use, including proper laboratory control, have been delineated.