A link to the Copyright Permissions Request Form appears on the right side of the page. Infective Endocarditis in Adults: Diagnosis, Antimicrobial Therapy, and Management of Complications A Scientific Statement for Healthcare Professionals From the American Heart Association Endorsed by the Infectious Diseases Society of America Larry M. Baddour, MD, FAHA, Chair; Walter R. Wilson, MD; Arnold S. Bayer, MD; Vance G. Fowler, Jr, MD, MHS; Imad M. Tleyjeh, MD, MSc; Michael J. Rybak, PharmD, MPH; Bruno Barsic, MD, PhD; Peter B. Lockhart, DDS; Michael H. Gewitz, MD, FAHA; Matthew E. Levison, MD; Ann F. Bolger, MD, FAHA; James M. Steckelberg, MD; Robert S. Baltimore, MD; Anne M. Fink, PhD, RN; Patrick O Gara, MD, FAHA; Kathryn A. Taubert, PhD, FAHA; on behalf of the American Heart Association Committee on Rheumatic Fever, Endocarditis, and Kawasaki Disease of the Council on Cardiovascular Disease in the Young, Council on Clinical Cardiology, Council on Cardiovascular Surgery and Anesthesia, and Stroke Council Infective endocarditis (IE) is an uncommon infectious dis- ease with an annual incidence ranging from 3 to 7 per 100000 person-years in the most contemporary population Although relatively rare, IE continues to be char- acterized by increased morbidity and mortality and is now the third or fourth most common life-threatening infection syndrome, after sepsis, pneumonia, and intra-abdominal abscess. Globally, in 2010, IE was associated with 1.58 mil- lion disability-adjusted life-years or years of healthy life lost as a result of death and nonfatal illness or impairment.4 Epidemiological surveys from France and the International Collaboration on Endocarditis have confirmed that the epide- miological profile of IE has changed substantially. 