Infective Endocarditis: How Do We Currently Interpret the Duke Minor Criterion “Predisposing Heart Condition” in Native Valves?

Abstract

Introduction: The term “predisposing heart condition” is used as an indication of antimicrobial prophylaxis to prevent infective endocarditis (IE) and as a criterion for diagnosing IE according to modified Duke criteria. The purpose of this survey was to elaborate clinician’s knowledge and opinion on relevant heart conditions as a Duke minor criterion for the diagnosis of IE. Methods: A questionnaire was created that consisted of two knowledge and two opinion questions on the term predisposing heart condition. The survey included results from 318 questionnaires with responses from specialists in the field of internal medicine, infectious diseases, and cardiology. Results: The answers of what participants believed to be currently a Duke minor criterion and what they thought should be minor criterion were very distributed with a median accordance of 33%. Conclusion: The survey indicates that there is significant uncertainty regarding what is encountered as a Duke minor criterion predisposing heart condition in a native valve.