Table 1. Clinical evaluation.

Guidelines	Recommendation	Level/class of evidence
ESC guidelines	Patients with complicated IE should be evaluated and managed at an early stage in a reference center, with immediate surgical facilities and the presence of a multidisciplinary ‘Endocarditis Team’, including an ID specialist, a microbiologist, a cardiologist, imaging specialists, a cardiac surgeon and, if needed, a specialist in CHD	IIa/B
	For patients with uncomplicated IE managed in a non-reference center, early and regular communication with the reference center and, when needed, visits to the reference center should be made	IIa/B
AHA/ACC guidelines	Decisions about timing of surgical intervention should be made by a multispecialty Heart Valve Team of cardiology, cardiothoracic surgery, and infectious disease specialists	I/B

Both recommend a multi-disciplinary evaluation of the patient (heart team). IE, Infective endocarditis; ESC, European Society of Cardiology; AHA, American Heart Association; ACC, American College of Cardiology; ID, infectious disease; CHD, congenital heart disease.