Clinical characteristics in the two patient groups
| Surgery group (n = 39) | Antibiotic group (n = 10) | p Value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) (mean (SD)) | 50 (15) | 59 (10) | NS |
| Male sex | 33 | 8 | NS |
| Concomitant heart disease1-150 | 29 | 5 | NS |
| Previous heart operations | |||
| One | 21 | 2 | |
| Two | 14 | 6 | |
| Three | 4 | 2 | NS |
| Previous endocarditis | 15 | 2 | NS |
| Onset of endocarditis | |||
| Early (⩽ 2 months) | 4 | 2 | |
| Late (> 2 months) | 35 | 8 | NS |
| Heart failure | 9 | 0 | NS |
| Need for catecholamines | 9 | 0 | NS |
| Embolic events | 16 | 5 | NS |
| Duration of antibiotic treatment (days) (mean (SD)) | 41 (17) | 102 (94) | 0.039 |
↵1-150 Concomitant heart disease was defined as coronary artery disease, hypertensive heart disease, hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy.