Treatment

Many people with endocarditis are successfully treated with antibiotics. Sometimes, surgery may be needed to fix or replace damaged heart valves and clean up any remaining signs of the infection.

Medications

The type of medication you receive depends on what's causing the endocarditis.

High doses of IV antibiotics are used to treat endocarditis caused by bacteria. If you receive IV antibiotics, you'll generally spend a week or more in the hospital so your doctor can determine if the treatment is working.

Once your fever and any severe signs and symptoms have gone away, you might be able to leave the hospital and continue IV antibiotics with visits to your doctor's office or at home with home care. You'll usually take antibiotics for several weeks to clear up the infection.

If endocarditis is caused by a fungal infection, your doctor will prescribe antifungal medication. Some people need lifelong antifungal pills to prevent endocarditis from returning.

Surgery

Heart valve surgery may be needed to treat persistent endocarditis infections or to replace a damaged valve. Surgery is also sometimes needed to treat endocarditis that's caused by a fungal infection.

Depending on your condition, your doctor may recommend repairing your damaged valve or replacing it with an artificial valve made of cow, pig or human heart tissue (biological tissue valve) or man-made materials (prosthetic mechanical valve).