Partial Oral Antimicrobials to Treat Infective Endocarditis in People Who Inject Drugs

Infective endocarditis (IE) is a serious infection associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Recent studies demonstrated an increased risk of infective endocarditis in people who inject drugs (PWIDs). PWIDs have a high rate of non-compliance with hospital admissions and leaving against medical advice. A recent landmark randomized controlled trial demonstrated similar outcomes when comparing partial oral antimicrobial therapy to continued intravenous antimicrobial therapy in the general population. Performing a trial to explore the non-inferiority of oral compared to intravenous antimicrobial therapy in PWIDs is essential in advancing patient care in this high risk increasing population.