Clinical Research Directory

Effectiveness of Antibiotic Prophylaxis of Infective Endocarditis for Invasive Dental Procedures in Patients With Prosthetic Heart Valves and/or History of Infective Endocarditis

Infective endocarditis (IE) continues to cause serious morbidity and mortality. To reduce its incidence, antibiotic prophylaxis has been recommended before invasive dental procedures in patients with at risk predispositions. Several studies have examined the effect of antibiotic prophylaxis on the incidence of IE and have brought conflicting results. The investigators aim to evaluate the effectiveness of antibiotic prophylaxis before invasive dental procedures to prevent oral streptococcal infective endocarditis in patients with prosthetic heart valves and/or history of IE, using a registry-based, cluster-randomized, controlled trial. In secondary objectives, the investigators aim to analyze changes in dentists' practices.