Comments on the 2023 guidelines of the ESC on infectious endocarditis

In August 2023 the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) published the new European guidelines for the management of infective endocarditis. Despite the severity of the disease with an often unfavorable prognosis and an increasing incidence, infective endocarditis remains a neglected area of research into cardiovascular and infectious diseases. Although large gaps of evidence exist the ESC guidelines provide several new and updated recommendations aiming to improve the management of infective endocarditis in clinical practice. Significant changes in the current ESC guidelines are primarily found in the areas of prevention including antibiotic prophylaxis, the role of the endocarditis team, diagnostic criteria, paradigm shift towards oral antibiotic treatment, timing and indications for surgical treatment as well as infections of cardiac implantable electronic devices.