[Infectious endocarditis, risk factors, prevention. Research group for infectious endocarditis and jury of the consensus conference].

Infective endocarditis, resulting from deposition of circulating microorganisms during a period of bacteremia on damaged endothelial heart valves, remains a serious disease. Its overall incidence did not decline in recent years, 24 cases/year/million inhabitants, in France. This can be explained by a modification of the type of underlying cardiac conditions with regression of rheumatic fever and increase of degenerative heart diseases, prosthetic valves and mitral valve prolapse. The risk of bacterial seeding on a damaged valve remains difficult to evaluate, the highest risk being for patients with prosthetic valve, previous infective endocarditis and cyanotic congenital heart disease. A case-control study, done in 1991, confirmed that procedures are risk factors for infective endocarditis and that the multiplicity of procedures increases the risk. A French consensus conference on the prophylaxis of infective endocarditis has updated the recommendations for antibiotic prophylaxis. Two groups of cardiac patients were identified, based on the incidence and the severity of endocarditis occurring in patients with these conditions, 1) patients considered at risk which require specific prophylaxis, and 2) patients considered non at risk which do not require antibiotic prophylaxis. Procedures which require antibiotic prophylaxis are dental procedures and specific gastrointestinal and urologic procedures. As complex protocols are associated with poor compliance by practitioners and patients, the jury has aimed for simplicity and feasibility.