Silver, known in metallic form since antiquity, has very early been recognized by mankind for
its antimicrobial properties, a phenomenon observed, for example, in the context of drinking …

Valve replacement started in 1960, with the surgeon now having a significant variety of
prosthetic heart valves from which to choose. These valves are broadly divided into …

Risk factors for the development of prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) were analyzed in
2642 patients undergoing initial valve replacement at the Massachusetts General Hospital …

One of the major drawbacks in the use of biomedical materials is the occurrence of
biomaterials centered infections. After implantation, the host interacts with a biomaterial by …

The incidence of neurologic complications in patients with infective endocarditis has
changed little over time, despite the changing epidemiologic and etiologic spectrum in this …

Staphylococcus aureus prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) remains among the most morbid
bacterial infections, with mortality estimates ranging from 40% to 80%. The proportion of …

Twenty-one patients with native valve endocarditis caused by coagulase-negative
staphylococci were studied; 14 had pre-existing valvular or congenital heart disease …

Candida prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) is a rare entity; however, its incidence is
expected to increase given the recent increase in incidence of nosocomial bloodstream …

Abstract Between 1973 and 1987, 36 patients with 41 episodes of enterococcal endocarditis
were seen at our institution. There were 22 episodes of native valve endocarditis (NVE) and …

• We reviewed the charts of 1,598 patients undergoing valve replacement at the National
Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md, from 1956 through 1981. Retrospective analysis …