PII: S0828-282X(08)70581-6

Abstract

To the Editor: Undoubtedly, there is plenty of information on the Internet regarding cardiovascular infections and inflammations. With a view to contributing to the investigation and evaluation of the content and usefulness of this information for Internet visitors related to medical sciences, we compiled a list of specific Web sites that are providing educational material in the field of cardiovascular infections and inflammations. Using the methodology we developed for previous publications in other medical fields (1,2), we extensively searched scientific Internet search engines, including Scirus (3) and HON (Health on the Net Foundation) (4), and medical databases such as PubMed, MedlinePlus, Current Contents Connect, Diseases Database and eMedicine from WebMD. We also searched sites from cardiology societies, organizations, major universities and open-access journals. The terms used included “cardiac infection”, “cardiovascular infection”, “cardiovascular inflammation”, “endocarditis”, “myocarditis”, “pericarditis”, “Kawasaki disease”, “Takayasu’s arteritis”, “infection after cardiac surgery” and “pacemaker related infection”. The included Web sites were offered as open-access electronic resources, written in English and developed for nonprofit but educational purposes, and targeted Web visitors such as medical students, residents, cardiology fellows and practising clinicians in general. Using the aforementioned methodology, we finally chose 46 Web sites. Ninety-three Web pages were identified from the 46 initially selected Web sites (Table 1). The selected Web pages provide Web visitors with guidelines and scientific statements on the diagnosis and management of cardiovascular infections and inflammations (pericarditis, myocarditis, endocarditis, Takayasu’s arteritis and Kawasaki’s disease), recommendations for the prevention of infective endocarditis, slide presentations, representative images and educational articles. Web sites of major academic institutions contain links for freely available electronic books, journals, databases, educational atlases of cardiothoracic images, quizzes, case presentations and online lectures from acknowledged specialists. TABLE 1 Open-access electronic resources on cardiovascular infections and inflammations However, our effort was not without limitations. For example, Web resources are changing their content constantly, and of course, there are a sufficient number of qualitative Web sites written in languages other than English that were excluded from our list. We also recognize that some other Web sites that also provide scientists with valuable information, particularly Web sites that are not offered as open-access resources, might have been omitted. We believe that this organized list of available Web resources containing free and educational information on cardiovascular infections and inflammations may be useful in delivering valuable, relevant information to medical scientists in search of answers on these topics.