[Bacteriological aspects in the diagnosis and treatment of endocarditis (author's transl)]

The role of the laboratory is capital in ensuring the diagnosis of bacterial endocarditis. At the present time, the circumstance surrounding the onset of endocarditis have become broadened. The bacteria responsible may belong to various species, certain requiring the use of special techniques in their culture. If blood cultures are performed under suitable conditions, they should lead to isolation of the organism in more than 90 per cent of cases of endocarditis. Precise identification of the pathogenic organism forms the basis for rational antibiotic therapy. The bactericidal activity of treatment must nevertheless be confirmed in vitro, firstly by study of the reaction of the strain to antibiotics, and secondly by study of the bactericidal activity of the serum.