Fewer deaths with oral versus IV antibiotics for endocarditis
Reassuring findings from the POET trial support the use of step-down antibiotic therapy, clinicians report
Patients with endocarditis on the left side of the heart are significantly less likely to die from any cause if they receive oral rather than IV antibiotics once stabilised, Danish research shows.
The five-year results from the POET (Partial Oral Treatment of Endocarditis) trial, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, confirm the trend seen in post-hoc analysis completed at 3.5 years’ follow-up.
