title: Endocarditis: effects of routine echocardiography during Gram-positive bacteraemia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Despite firm recommendations to perform echocardiography in high-risk patients with Gram-positive bacteraemia, routine echocardiography is not embedded in daily practice in many settings. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether a regime including routine echocardiography results in better outcome.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 115 patients with Gram-positive bacteraemia and at least one risk factor for developing metastatic infection were prospectively included. Routine echocardiography was advocated and facilitated in these patients. Results were compared with a matched historical control group of 230 patients in whom echocardiography was performed at the discretion of the attending physician. Endocarditis was diagnosed according to the Duke criteria.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Echocardiography was performed more often in the study group (82 vs 27%, p.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands. f.vos@aig.umcn.nl
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Vos
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Bleeker-Rovers
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Sturm
authors.forename: P F M
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Krabbe
authors.forename: A P J
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: van Dijk
authors.forename: W J G
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Oyen
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Kullberg
mesh_terms: D016470:Bacteremia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000382:microbiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D057210:Delayed Diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004452:Echocardiography; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000382:microbiology; D016983:Enterococcus; D005260:Female; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016555:Matched-Pair Analysis; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus; D013291:Streptococcus; D016019:Survival Analysis