Infective Endocarditis Prophylaxis and the Impact of Recent Guideline Changes; Literature Review

Download PDF

Background: Infective endocarditis is a serious condition with a significant mortality rate, especially among people with previously damaged or malformed heart tissues or immunocompromised. Antibiotic prophylaxis before dental procedure was a common practice earlier, particularly in patients with high-risk. Objective: This study aimed to clarify the evidence of prescribing prophylactic antibiotics among a specific group of patients before dental procedures and investigating the effect of the recent guideline changes on the incidence of Infective Endocarditis. Methodology: We used the PubMed database to look for relevant articles to the topic. Conclusion: The old guidelines were not based on randomized clinical trials, and among years, the incidence of infective endocarditis was not shown to be significantly decreased. Transient bacteremia is reported in many daily routine practices rather than dental procedures itself. The recent guidelines recommended antibiotic prophylaxis in high-risk patients undergoing specific invasive dental procedures.