Long-Term Prognosis and Surgical Outcomes of Culture-Negative Infective Endocarditis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Culture-negative infective endocarditis (CNIE) presents significant diagnostic and therapeutic challenges due to the absence of identifiable pathogens, leading to empirical antibiotic treatment and potentially worse clinical outcomes. This study aims to compare the clinical characteristics, surgical outcomes, and long-term prognoses of patients with CNIE and culture-positive infective endocarditis.

Methods

A total of 698 patients who underwent surgery for infective endocarditis between 2013 and 2024 were included, with 154 (22.1%) classified as CNIE. Baseline, intraoperative, and postoperative factors were analyzed in several ways including multivariate Cox regression and structural equation modeling.

Results

Patients with CNIE had worse preoperative cardia

SUBMITTER: Zhang L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12684773 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature