Electrocardiographic findings in infective endocarditis

Abstract

Management of infective endocarditis includes early recognition of complications and prompt intervention when necessary to avert an untoward result. Among the most serious potential complications of this disorder are those that involve the heart itself. Although the ECG is often normal or nearly so in patients with endocarditis, at other times apparently minor abnormalities may be harbingers of potentially fatal complications. The ECG therefore plays an important role in the initial and ongoing evaluation of patients in whom endocarditis is suspected.