What Is an Endocarditis Prophylaxis?
Endocarditis prophylaxis is the prevention of bacterial infection of the heart prior to certain types of exposure that may elevate this risk. It is more commonly termed bacterial endocarditis or BE prophylaxis and it is a very important part of treatment under some circumstances for certain members of the population. What is meant by prophylaxis is that a medical step is taken that is preventative rather than curative. In the case of endocarditis prophylaxis, this typically means administering antibiotics prior to any treatment that poses a risk for bacteria entering the bloodstream and making its way to the heart where it begins to grow and obstruct heart function (endocarditis).
