An international study suggests that in patients with infective endocarditis complicated by heart failure (HF), the severity of HF appears to be strongly associated with surgical therapy and subsequent mortality. The research team added that valvular surgery appeared to be associated with lower in-hospital and 1-year mortality. The in-hospital mortality rate for those undergoing valvular surgery was 20.6%, compared with 44.8% for those undergoing medical therapy alone.
Abstract: Journal of the American Medical Association, November 23, 2011.
