Endocarditis Prophylaxis
A systems-based approach is required to care for patients who require antibiotic prophylaxis for oral procedures.
The following questions should be asked and addressed in accordance with the 2007 American Heart Association Guidelines. This process requires collaboration with the patient's dentist and/or cardiologist.
- Does the patient have a medical condition placing him or her at high risk for endocarditis?
- Does the oral procedure being performed present a substantial risk of bacteremia?
- If the answer to both of the preceding questions is yes, which antibiotic is recommended?
References
Wilson W, Taubert KA, Gewitz M, Lockhart PB, Baddour LM, Levison M, et al. Prevention of infective endocarditis: guidelines from the American Heart Association: a guideline from the American Heart Association Rheumatic Fever, Endocarditis, and Kawasaki Disease Committee, Council on Cardiovascular Disease in the Young, and the Council on Clinical Cardiology, Council on Cardiovascular Surgery and Anesthesia, and the Quality of Care and Outcomes Research Interdisciplinary Working Group. Circulation 2007; 116:1736-54.
Nishamura RA, Otto CM, Bonow RO, et al. 2017 AHA/ACC Focused Update of the 2014 AHA/ACC Guideline for the Management of Patients With Valvular Heart Disease: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines. Circulation. 2017; 135(25): e1159-e1195.