Can you fully recover from endocarditis?

Most people who are treated with the proper antibiotics recover. But if the infection isn’t treated, or if it persists despite treatment (for example, if the bacteria are resistant to antibiotics), it’s usually fatal.

Does endocarditis shorten your life?

Infective endocarditis remains a disease associated with high mortality in certain groups of patients, with death resulting primarily from central nervous system complications and congestive heart failure.

Does endocarditis go away?

Treatment for infective endocarditis begins with an IV of antibiotics in the hospital. After leaving the hospital, most people need long-term antibiotics — about four to six weeks — to kill all the harmful bacteria. In some cases, you may need surgery to replace the infected heart valve if: The infection causes stroke.

What are the long term effects of endocarditis?

As a result, endocarditis can cause several complications, including: Heart problems, such as heart murmur, heart valve damage and heart failure. Stroke. Pockets of collected pus (abscesses) that develop in the heart, brain, lungs and other organs.

Can bacterial endocarditis be cured?

Many people with endocarditis are successfully treated with antibiotics. Sometimes, surgery may be needed to fix or replace damaged heart valves and clean up any remaining signs of the infection.

What are the chances of getting endocarditis again?

Three problems hamper the prognosis of patients who survive the initial phase of infective endocarditis (IE): the rate of IE recurrence is 0.3-2.5/100 patient years, about 60% of patients will have to be operated on at some time, 20-30% during the initial stay, 30-40% during the following 5-8 years; five-year survival …

Is endocarditis a life?

Endocarditis is a life-threatening inflammation of the inner lining of your heart’s chambers and valves (endocardium). Endocarditis is usually caused by an infection.

Can you get endocarditis a second time?

Treatment includes a long course of antibiotics. Some people require heart surgery to remove the infection and repair the damage. Individuals who have had endocarditis once are more likely to have it a second time.