Most people with infective endocarditis are treated with antibiotics. "We reserve surgery for people whose infections don't resolve, have fever or bacteria in the bloodstream or whose valves get destroyed," Green noted.
"Many people with milder forms can be treated with antibiotics and monitored long term to see if they need surgery," he added. This study suggests that "if you get a really bad clump of stuff on a valve, even if it's antibiotic-sensitive, maybe we should go to surgery earlier."
More information
Learn more about infective endocarditis at the American Heart Association.
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