ABSTRACT
ENDOCARDITIS The annual incidence of IE is between 1.9 and 11.6 per 100,000 population. Most cases involve native heart valves. Of the patients with native valve endocarditis (NVE), 55 to 75% have predisposing conditions such as rheumatic or congenital heart disease. About one quarter of all cases represent prosthetic valve endocarditis (PYE) [1].
