(UK) Latest Developments Regarding "Antibiotic Prophylaxis Against Infective Endocarditis"
By: Jacob Krikor D.D.S (SWE) | General News
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Chief Dental Officer Barry Cockcroft issued on the 20th of March a letter regarding the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidance on antibiotic prophylaxis against infective endocarditis.
The new guidelines recommend that antibiotic prophylaxis should not be given to adults and children with structural cardiac defects undergoing dental interventional procedures.
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence was asked to evaluate the situation as there has been conflicting advice concerning the antibiotic prophylaxis situation.
The outcome of the studies carried out by NICE show that "there is no consistent association between having a dental intervention procedure and the development of infective endocarditis; regular Toothbrushing almost certainly presents a greater risk of infective endocarditis than a single dental procedure because repetitive exposure to bacteraemia with oral flora; the clinical effectiveness of antibiotic prophylaxis is not proven and antibiotic prophylaxis against infective endocarditis for dental procedures is not cost effective and may lead to a greater number of deaths through fatal anaphylaxis than a strategy of no antibiotic prophylaxis".
In addition to that, offering patients a rinse with Chlorhexidine mouthwash as prophylaxis against infective endocarditis is not necessary as this has no proven effect.
NICE guidelines are to be found here
Chief Dental Officer Barry Cockcroft's letter can be found here
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