24th June 2026

Background

Infective endocarditis (IE) is an infection involving the endocardium, including the heart valves, chordae tendineae, and sites of existing defects, such as a septal defect. It is a rare condition, with an incidence of 10 per 10,000 in the general population, and carries a high morbidity and mortality, and therefore prompt recognition and treatment is essential. It may affect native heart valves or prosthetic heart valves.