"Infective endocarditis" refers to infection of the endocardial surface of the heart and may involve one or more heart valves, the mural endocardium, or a septal defect. Its intracardiac effects include valvular insufficiency, which may progress to intractable congestive heart failure and myocardial abscesses. Infective endocarditis also produces a wide variety of systemic signs and symptoms through several mechanisms, including both sterile and infected emboli and various immunologic phenomena.
Infective endocarditis remains a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. Its manifestations may be masked by the indiscriminate use of antibiotics or by underlying conditions in frail and elderly individuals or immunosuppressed persons. If left untreated, infective endocarditis is almost inevitably fatal.
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Cite this: Michael Stuart Bronze. Fast Five Quiz: Refresh Your Knowledge on Key Aspects of Infective Endocarditis - Medscape - Dec 05, 2017.
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