History
A detailed history should focus on eliciting risk factors for infective Endocarditis so as to highlight the at risk population groups.
Further enquiry should be made to elicit cardinal features of the disease especially fever, chills, arthralgia and constitutional symptoms like loss of appetite and malaise.
It is also important to elicit history suggestive of complications. The following should lead to investigation and further work up:
- Sudden shortness of breath
- Stroke-like symptoms
- Visual disturbance