It should be noted that in our study very few patients were diagnosed with concomitant endocarditis, although only 55 patients (60%) had indications for an echocardiogram [12] More recently, a study incorporating patients recruited to an open-label randomised controlled trial (RCT), discussed further below, examined factors that were associated with severe neurological deficit at baseline (but not outcome): these factors were cervical or thoracic spinal involvement, S. aureus infection and C-reactive protein > 150 mg/L [13]. This evidence concerns the gene CRP and endocarditis.