Updates in Infective Endocarditis—2nd Edition

Dear Colleagues,

Infective endocarditis (IE) is an uncommon yet debilitating condition that has received considerable attention in the medical field over the past century. The crude incidence of IE is anywhere between 2 and 10 cases per 100,000 people. The epidemiology of IE is dynamic and has changed over the last few decades owing to changes in the epidemiology of rheumatic heart disease and to the increased use of cardiovascular devices. What was once a disease of young adults now predominantly affects patients above the age of 50 years, particularly in the industrialized world. Moreover, IE has shifted from its commonly subacute form caused by viridans group Streptococci to a largely acute infection caused by Staphylococcus aureus and other virulent Gram-positive pathogens. Therefore, IE remains an aggressive disease with marked morbidity and mortality. The 1-year mortality from IE can reach up to 30%-40% overall and may even be higher when caused by S. aureus. 

The early diagnosis and treatment of IE provides the best chance for reduced morbidity and mortality. Despite the scientific advances made in understanding IE, it remains a challenging infection to diagnose. In fact, as little as 20% of clinically diagnosed cases were classified as definite IE in some studies. Many uncertainties also remain about the optimal therapeutic approach to IE. This includes both surgical, novel percutaneous interventions, and antimicrobial therapies. Physicians in the field require updates on contemporary advances in IE management. The most recent scientific statements from the American Heart Association and the Infectious Diseases Society of America date back to 2015, as do the relevant guidelines from the European Society of Cardiology. Since then, important developments in IE research have occurred that warrant discussion. This Special Issue will serve the purpose of updating clinicians on the epidemiology, diagnosis, and management of IE in the current era. 

The focus of this Special Issue will be on advances made in the following areas of research, though research in other areas within the field of IE is also welcome. 

• Trends in the epidemiology of IE;
• Pathogen-specific risks for IE;
• Culture-negative IE;
• Risk scores for echocardiography;
• Diagnostic imaging in IE;
• Microbiologic diagnosis of IE;
• Dogma and uncertainties in antimicrobial therapy for IE;
• Surgical management of IE;
• AngioVac for IE;
• Phage therapy for IE;
• Antibiotic prophylaxis for dental procedures;
• IE in people who inject drugs;
• IE complicating transcutaneous aortic valve replacement (TAVR).

Dr. Hussam Tabaja
Dr. Jack McHugh
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Pathogens is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• infective endocarditis
• cardiovascular infection
• echocardiography
• nuclear scan
• positron-emission tomography
• AngioVac
• phage therapy
• transcutaneous aortic valve replacement
• TAVR

• Updates in Infective Endocarditis in Pathogens (7 articles)