The usefulness of antibiotics following dental procedures for prevention is unclear.[10] Some recommend them for people at high risk.[1] Treatment is generally with intravenous antibiotics.[1] The choice of antibiotics is based on the results of blood cultures.[1] Occasionally heart surgery is required.[1]
The number of people affected is about 5 per 100,000 per year.[6] Rates, however, vary between regions of the world.[6] Infective endocarditis occurs in males more often than in females.[1] The risk of death among those infected is about 25%.[6] Without treatment, it is almost universally fatal.[1] Improved diagnosis and treatment options have significantly enhanced the life expectancy of patients with infective endocarditis, particularly with congenital heart disease.[5]
^ abcVerzelloni Sef, A; Jaggar, SI; Trkulja, V; Alonso-Gonzalez, R; Sef, D; Turina, MI (22 March 2023). "Factors associated with long-term outcomes in adult congenital heart disease patients with infective endocarditis: A 16-year tertiary single-centre experience". European Journal of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. 63 (5). doi:10.1093/ejcts/ezad105. PMID36946284.
^ abcdefgAmbrosioni J, Hernandez-Meneses M, Téllez A, Pericàs J, Falces C, Tolosana JM, Vidal B, Almela M, Quintana E, Llopis J, Moreno A, Miro JM (May 2017). "The Changing Epidemiology of Infective Endocarditis in the Twenty-First Century". Current Infectious Disease Reports. 19 (5): 21. doi:10.1007/s11908-017-0574-9. PMID28401448. S2CID24935834.