Do you still use fever as a minor criterion when applying the Duke–ISCVID criteria for infective endocarditis given data suggesting diagnostic accuracy may improve when it is omitted?

Actually, I still use fever as a minor criterium. I have not really thought much about it and have no instances where culture-negative endocarditis has come up since the publication. In fact, no one in my division has even brought this up for discussion. Anyhow, I think this is a minor modification. I have suggested that we review the article in our journal club. Sorry, not much help here.

I rely on the Duke group for nearly everything involving S. aureus bacteremia, and for many things involving endocarditis. Dr. A.W. Karchmer’s group, and Dr. Robert Moellering Jr.’s group up at Deaconess, was and is pretty good at endocarditis, too. When in doubt, I contact someone from the Duke group or “A.W.” by email or phone. Of course, I call him Dr. Karchmer.

I do not use scoring systems. I do not know the Duke criteria, and I do not want to, although their contributions to endocarditis an...