A positive echocardiogram showing vegetation, abscess, or new partial dehiscence of a prosthetic valve constitutes which Duke criterion?

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Multiple Choice

A positive echocardiogram showing vegetation, abscess, or new partial dehiscence of a prosthetic valve constitutes which Duke criterion?

This finding demonstrates endocardial involvement, which Duke criteria classify as a major criterion. Seeing vegetation, an abscess, or a new partial dehiscence of a prosthetic valve on echocardiography provides direct imaging evidence of infection of the valve or prosthetic valve, making it a decisive major criterion. Minor criteria cover symptoms and findings like fever, predisposition, vascular or immunologic phenomena, or nonspecific microbiologic evidence. Echocardiography is indeed used in the criteria, so saying it isn’t used is incorrect. For diagnosis, combinations like two major criteria (or one major with three minor, or five minor) establish infective endocarditis.

This finding demonstrates endocardial involvement, which Duke criteria classify as a major criterion. Seeing vegetation, an abscess, or a new partial dehiscence of a prosthetic valve on echocardiography provides direct imaging evidence of infection of the valve or prosthetic valve, making it a decisive major criterion. Minor criteria cover symptoms and findings like fever, predisposition, vascular or immunologic phenomena, or nonspecific microbiologic evidence. Echocardiography is indeed used in the criteria, so saying it isn’t used is incorrect. For diagnosis, combinations like two major criteria (or one major with three minor, or five minor) establish infective endocarditis.

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