The International Society for Cardiovascular Infectious Diseases (ISCVID) was formed in the late 1980s to bring scientific awareness to this complex and life-threatening clinical condition, infective endocarditis. This is a disease of high morbidity and mortality but with very little organised multinational collaboration. In the early 1990s, this society began holding biennial scientific sessions (International Symposia on Modern Concepts in Endocarditis and Cardiovascular Infections) to bring together the community of endocarditis investigators and help further the study of endocarditis, cardiovascular infections, and complex bacteraemia.

Over the years the need for ISCVID updates has increased with the growing use of implantable medical devices, cardiac electronic devices, and percutaneous heart valves and in the last decade mechanical circulatory support devices, all associated with an increased risk for infective endocarditis and cardiovascular infection. Vascular graft implantation has also emerged as an important cause of infection with a high morbidity and mortality and in need of organized multinational collaboration. International consensus on prevention of all these infections and management of current complex resistance patterns of infection is a key consideration throughout our meetings.

The meeting is organized though scientific presentations, expert lectures, discussions and symposia and explore infections of the cardiovascular system and their treatment. An excellent opportunity is presented for specialists in infectious diseases, cardiology, clinical microbiology, internal medicine, pathology and for cardiovascular surgeons to collaborate on basic and clinical research and discuss the latest scientific knowledge in the management of device infections and complex bacteraemia.

The latest meetings have been held in Barcelona, Lausanne, Dublin, Rio De Janeiro, Dubrovnik, Charleston, and Naples.