A new risk factor for infective endocarditis

Body piercing has become an increasingly common practice in recent decades, especially among young people. However, it is not a completely safe procedure and may have serious complications such as infective endocarditis, which can occur in individuals with or without previous heart disease. In this paper we report a case of endocarditis after body piercing in a young woman with a pacemaker who needed surgical intervention. We also review cases of endocarditis after piercing described in the literature. Now that the recommendations of the American Heart Association for prophylaxis of infective endocarditis are more restricted, we discuss the need for inclusion of body piercings among procedures requiring prophylactic therapy in high-risk individuals.