antibiotics for infective endocarditis
Last reviewed 01/2018
- irrespective of whether the patient is to undergo cardiac surgery antibiotic therapy should be commenced
- initially, a bacteriocidal combination of antibiotics should be administered intravenously
- the choice of antibiotics, doses and duration of treatment are dependent upon the putative organism, the severity of the infection and its response to treatment.
- the serum concentration of antibiotics should be measured and related to the minimum inhibitory concentration of the organism if this is known
- renal function should be monitored throughout the course of antibiotic treatment and treatment may need adjusting accordingly