Antibiotic prophylaxis for bacterial endocarditis: a survey of current practices among dentists in Riyadh

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study was to evaluate the current practice of antibiotic prophylaxis for Bacterial Endocarditis [BE] among Riyadh dentists. A three-paged self-administered questionnaire was circulated to the dental practices in large hospitals and dental polyclinic in Riyadh City. A total of 700 questionnaires were distributed and the response rate was 41.7%. The relationship was determined between variables and the various responses using a X2 test. A great majority of the respondents [96.9%] were using prophylactic antibiotic in patients susceptible to BE and amoxicillin was the first antibiotic of choice. A high percentage of the surveyed dentists were still using prophylactic antibiotic for low or negligible risk cardiac conditions. The respondents were also noticed to cover non-high risk dental procedures with prophylactic antibiotics. This practice is not consistent with the recent American Heart Association [AHA] guidelines. Therefore, improvement in dental practitioners knowledge about prophylactic antibiotic utilization is required