Low Yield of Blood Cultures After End of Therapy of an Episode of Infective Endocarditis: 12 Years’ Experience From a Referral Center

Background: Infective endocarditis (IE) carries a significant risk of recurrence. European clinical guidelines recommend performing follow-up blood cultures (BCs), although evidence regarding their utility is limited. We aimed to assess the yield of follow-up BCs in these patients. Methods: Single-center post hoc analysis of a prospective cohort including IE survivors diagnosed between 2012 and 2023 with at least 12 months of follow-up. Results: = .012) endocarditis. Conclusions: Follow-up BC after an IE episode appears to have low utility, with similar rates of true positives and contaminants. Patients with follow-up BCs did not have more recurrences diagnosed or lower mortality during follow-up.