Infective endocarditis in the elderly: The current view of the problem

Abstract

The review gives the current views of the etiology and risk factors of infective endocarditis (IE) in the elderly. It reports the specific clinical picture of the disease at this age, including clinically apparent syndromes, comorbidity, and various clinical signs and peculiarities of IE. Particular emphasis is placed on the diagnosis of an endocardial infectious lesion, which is based on the use of the modified Duke criteria. The methods of IE diagnosis, particularly microbiological examination, imaging techniques, among which echocardiography in different modes plays a particular role, are listed. The treatment of the disease is based on the latest recommendations for antibiotic therapy with and without regard to a specific etiological factor. The issues of surgical intervention, as well as approaches to preventing IE in elderly people are discussed.