Infective endocarditis center dot Principles, classification and diagnosis

Infectious endocarditis is a disease which potentially leads to death. It often occurs during work life. Despite the knowledge of risk factors, it often appears suddenly without warning about the consequences for health. This paper gives a review on the definition, staging, and diagnosis of the disease while part 2 describes treatment and prevention of IE. This article also gives a synthesis of national guidelines. It is addressed to physicians who do not regularly diagnose and treat patients with infectious endocarditis and should give a basis for the understanding of the disease.