Long Term Management and Outcomes of Surgical and Non Surgical Infective Endocarditis

Infective endocarditis (IE) is a complex clinical condition in which approximately half of patients require surgical treatment during hospitalization, while the remaining patients are managed medically according to current guideline recommendations. However, limited evidence is available regarding the long-term management and outcomes of patients treated conservatively after completion of antibiotic therapy. The ENDOCARDITIS study is a multicenter, observational study with retrospective and prospective components designed to evaluate long-term outcomes in patients with definite infective endocarditis managed either surgically or with medical therapy alone. Adult patients will be enrolled and followed for up to 24 months. The primary objective is to compare long-term outcomes between surgical and non-surgical patients, while the secondary objective is to define optimal long-term follow-up strategies for patients treated medically.