Document Overview

Document Title

Tricuspid Valve Endocarditis in People Who Inject Drugs

Authoring Society

Society of Thoracic Surgeons

Document Publication Date

Jul 17, 2026

Page Last Reviewed/Updated

Jul 18, 2026

Document Type

Consensus Statement

Country of Publication

United States

Full Text Freely Available

No

Full Text Guideline

www.annalsthoracicsurgery.org/article/S0003-4975(26)00722-8/abstract

Source Citation

Goldberg JB, Mehaffey JH, Paras ML, Vardas PN, Pattakos G, Slaughter MS, Arnaoutakis GJ, Whitson BA, Wyler von Ballmoos MC. The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Expert Consensus Document on Tricuspid Valve Endocarditis in People Who Inject Drugs. Ann Thorac Surg. 2026 Jul 17:S0003-4975(26)00722-8. doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2026.06.065. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 42468870.

Document Scope, Criteria, and Use Cases

Document Objectives

Tricuspid valve endocarditis in people who inject drugs represents a unique clinical and social challenge for cardiac surgeons. There is a relative paucity of research specific to this unique clinical scenario to guide evidence-based treatment. Expert consensus statements were generated addressing key topics including vegetation size, impact of infectious organism on surgical decision making, persistent bacteremia, prosthetic valve infections, surgical strategy, emerging technologies, and ethical considerations. Included expert consensus statements offers insight based on the literature a clinical experience about important topics when managing tricuspid valve endocarditis in patients who inject drugs.

Scope

Management

Keywords

endocarditis, tricuspid valve

Inclusion Criteria

Male, Female, Adult, Older Adult

Health Care Settings

Hospital, Operating and Recovery Room

Intended Users

Nurse, Nurse Practitioner, Physician, Physician Assistant