Making the Diagnosis
Only your doctor can diagnose endocarditis. The heart test known as
an echocardiogram is the main tool for diagnosing endocarditis. For an
echocardiogram, a special gel will be placed on your chest and a transducer
(a device that emits high frequency waves) is put on the chest and moved around.
The waves put out by the transducer bounce off different structures in your
heart and allow the doctor to see your heart and how it is functioning. If endocarditis
is found, you'll need blood tests to identify any bacteria or fungi. This is
vital because the treatment for non-infective endocarditis is different than
for infective endocarditis.