Change of Heart: Can Artificial Intelligence Transform Infective Endocarditis Management?

Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a promising adjunct in the diagnosis and management of infective endocarditis (IE), a disease characterized by diagnostic complexity and significant morbidity. Machine learning (ML) models such as SABIER and SYSUPMIE have demonstrated strong predictive accuracy for early IE diagnosis, embolic risk stratification, and postoperative mortality, surpassing traditional clinical scoring systems. In imaging, AI-enhanced echocardiography and advanced modalities like FDG-PET/CT offer improved sensitivity, specificity, and reduced inter-observer variability, potentially transforming clinical decision making. Additionally, AI-powered microbiological techniques, including MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry combined with ML and neural network-based metagenomic classifiers, show promise in rapidly identifying pathogens and predicting antimicrobial resistance. Despite encouraging early results, widespread adoption faces barriers, including data limitations, interpretability issues, ethical concerns, and the need for robust validation. Future directions include leveraging generative AI as clinical consultative tools, provided their capabilities and limitations are carefully managed. Ultimately, collaborative efforts addressing these challenges could transform IE care, enhancing diagnostic accuracy, clinical outcomes, and patient safety.