ABSTRACT
Patients with prosthetic heart valves are permanently at risk of developing infection of the prosthesis. The risk of infection is higher in the first 3-6 months, but remains relatively constant thereafter. Hence, antibiotic prophylaxis is mandatory after cardiac valve replacement. But because of better antibiotic prophylaxis at the time of the initial surgery and improved prophylaxis during dental, endoscopic or other surgical procedures, the incidence of prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) has been decreasing. The guidelines for antibiotic prophylaxis in patients with prosthetic heart valves are discussed in Chapter 12.
