Primary prevention
Secondary prevention
In case of a febrile illness, endocarditis should be suspected and blood cultures obtained before initiating antibiotic therapy. Depending on the degree of suspicion, transthoracic or transesophageal echocardiography should be performed.[49] Prophylaxis is only indicated in patients at particularly high risk of developing endocarditis: patients with Eisenmenger syndrome; patients with a previous history of infective endocarditis; patients within 6 months following patch repair or percutaneous device closure of ventricular septal defect (VSD); or patients with a residual defect following closure. Prophylaxis is not recommended for routine gastrointestinal procedures.[2]
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