[Septic endocarditis in cardiosurgical clinical practice].

The authors analyze the experience of the treatment of eight patients with primary acute septic endocarditis (SE), 35 patients with rheumatic heart disease complicated by secondary subacute SE, 68 patients with early postsurgery SE including 25 who had had closed mitral comissurotomy, and 43 with prosthetic SE. Surgical treatment consisting in the removal of the infection source (the impaired valve or prosthesis) and the implantation of a new prosthesis should be carried out before the development of irreversible alterations of the internal organs.