New Guidelines for Prevention of Endocarditis

Now that the AHA has updated its guidelines, many fewer patients should receive antibiotic courses before routine procedures.

The focus of Journal Watch “Top Stories” generally is original research, not practice guidelines. This year we make an exception with the American Heart Association’s new guidelines on prevention of endocarditis, which represent a major shift in practice. For many clinical entities, multiple organizations elaborate competing clinical guidelines in the U.S., but for prevention of endocarditis, the AHA’s guideline — last updated in 1997 — essentially stands alone (Journal Watch Jun 12 2007).

Prophylaxis is now recommended for only four high-risk conditions — prosthetic valves, previous endocarditis, certain types of congenital heart disease, and cardiac transplantation with valvulopathy. For patients with these conditions, prophylaxis should b…

Author

Allan S. Brett, MD

Disclosures

Nothing to disclose

Allan S. Brett, MD

Disclosures

Nothing to disclose