Risk factors

Risk factors for infective endocarditis include: (1) (2)

• congenital lesions:
  • ventral septal defect
  • tetralogy of Fallot
  • coarctation of aorta
  • patent ductus arteriosus
    
• vascular abnormalities:
  • rheumatic involvement of any valve - but now less important in developed countries
  • bicuspid or calcific aortic valve
  • hypertrophic subaortic stenosis
  • mitral valve prolapse - most prevalent
    
• I.V. drug abuse
• abortion
• prosthetic valve replacement
• cardiac / urinary catheterisation
  
• any invasive diagnostic or surgical procedure e.g.:
  • dental
  • upper respiratory
  • urological
  • lower GI
  • less commonly, upper GI and gynaecological

Reference.

1. British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (2012). Guidelines for the diagnosis and antibiotic treatment of endocarditis in adults (http://jac.oxfordjournals.org/content/67/2/269)

2. European Society of Cardiology (Aug 2023). 2023 ESC Guidelines for the management of infective endocarditis.