Table 1.

Duke Clinical Criteria for Infective Endocarditis¹⁵

Pathologic Criteria	Definite Diagnosis if any of the following: Any pathologic criteria 2 major criteria 1 major + 2 minor criteria 5 minor criteria Possible Diagnosis if any of the following: 1 major + 1 minor criteria 3 minor criteria
- Histologic: vegetation or intracardiac abscess present, confirmed by histology, showing active endocarditis - Bacteria: Demonstrated by culture or histology in a vegetation, or in a vegetation that has embolized, or in an intracardiac abscess
Major Criteria
- Positive blood culturesa - Evidence of endocardial involvement on echocardiogram
Minor Criteria
- Predispositionb - Fever ≥38C - Vascular phenomenac - Immune phenomenad - Microbiologic evidencee

^aRequires typical pathogens from ≥2 separate cultures

^bHeart condition or intravenous drug use

^cMajor arterial emboli, septic pulmonary infarcts, infectious intracranial aneurysm, intracranial hemorrhage, conjunctival hemorrhages, or Janeway lesions

^dGlomerulonephritis, Osler nodes, Roth spots, or rheumatoid factor

^ePositive blood cultures that do not meet Duke major criteria, or serologic evidence of active infection with an organism consistent with infective endocarditis.