Enterococcus faecalis endocarditis: what's next?

Abstract

Enterococcus faecalis infective endocarditis (EFIE) is a complex entity in rapid evolution. Although largely relevant findings from recent studies have advanced the knowledge on EFIE and led to some changes in clinical guidelines, there are still a number of gaps to be filled. Coordinated, international, multicenter efforts are needed to obtain quality data that rend the health systems and scientific community prepared enough to understand and handle this infection. In this Perspective, some of the most relevant aspects concerning the epidemiology, clinical presentation and outcomes, diagnostic approaches and antibiotic therapy of EFIE are addressed. Also, several potential future clinical developments in the field are discussed.

Keywords: Enterococcus faecalis; antibiotic treatment; colorectal neoplasm; echocardiography; endocarditis; epidemiology; outcomes.