Health Library

Culture-negative endocarditis

Endocarditis (culture-negative)

Culture-negative endocarditis is an infection and inflammation of the lining of one or more heart valves, but no endocarditis-causing germs can be found in a blood culture. This is because certain germs do not grow well in a laboratory setting, or some people have received antibiotics in the past that keep such germs from growing outside of the body.

Endocarditis is usually a result of a bloodstream infection. Bacteria can enter the bloodstream during certain medical procedures, including dental procedures or through intravenous injection using non-sterile needles. Then bacteria can travel to the heart, where they can settle on damaged heart valves.

Images

Related Information

References

Baddour LM, Freeman WK, Suri RM, Wilson WR. Cardiovascular infections. In: Zipes DP, Libby P, Bonow RO, Mann DL, Tomaselli GF, Braunwald E, eds. Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine. 11th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2019:chap 73.

Holland TL, Bayer AS, Fowler VG. Endocarditis and intravascular infection. In: Bennett JE, Dolin R, Blaser MJ, eds. Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 80.

Review Date: 12/24/2020  

Reviewed By: Jatin M. Vyas, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Assistant in Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, for Health Content Provider (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is an independent audit to verify that A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial policy, editorial process and privacy policy. A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics. This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information: verify here.

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. © 1997- 2021 A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.