Recurrent Infective Endocarditis With Recurrent Intravenous Drug Use: Illustrating the High Complexity of Surgical Decision-Making

Annals of Thoracic Surgery Short Reports 2026 Open access

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Authors: Haris Patail, Yasser Radwan, Hasan Ahmad, Junichi Shimamura, Suguru Ohira, Syed Abbas Haidry, Joshua Goldberg, Daniel M. Spevack
DOI: 10.1016/j.atssr.2025.11.032
Cited by: 1
References: 8

Abstract

Management of infective endocarditis in patients who inject drugs is often a significant challenge. The decision to proceed with surgical management frequently occurs in patients experiencing a complex web of psychosocial, socioeconomic, medical, and legal issues that can be difficult for clinicians to address. The recent addition of percutaneous mechanical aspiration as a potential adjunctive tool adds further still to the complexity of picking a rational therapeutic strategy. We report a case of recurrent infective endocarditis in a patient who injects drugs that illustrates the many difficult dilemmas commonly presented in this population.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Infective Endocarditis Diagnosis and Management Antibiotic Resistance in Bacteria Antibiotics Pharmacokinetics and Efficacy

Publication details

Journal / source
Annals of Thoracic Surgery Short Reports
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Volume
4
Issue
2
Pages
630–634
Publication date
22 January 2026
Language
EN