There are many bacteria that can cause endocarditis. Your first step is information gathering - this may involve reading about this topic several times and asking yourself questions about it to deepen your understanding of all the issues associated with this disease. You will probably need to carry out research of your own to gain additional information and facts. Brainstorm all of all the potential etiological agents that cause endocarditis. Choose a particular etiological agent and analyze how you would diagnose the disease caused by this pathogen. Review how the patient will present in the hospital-i.e. what would be the presenting symptoms and the history. What signs should you look for that point to an infection of the endocardium? What would be the differential diagnosis? What would be the tests needed to narrow down your diagnoses? Once you have found a test for a definitive diagnosis, and the etiology is confirmed, how would this disease be treated? What would be the prognosis or outcome?

In your conclusion, include all the possible causes of endocarditis that you excluded