Cardiac murmurs: echocardiography in the assessment of patients requiring antibiotic prophylaxis for dental treatment

Assessment and evaluation of the woman with cardiac disease during pregnancy

Maternal heart disease complicates 0.2 to 3% of pregnancies and is responsible for 10% to 25% of maternal deaths. Many healthy women manifest subtle signs of cardiac failure during uncomplicated pregnancy and birth. Classic symptoms of heart disease mimic common symptoms of late pregnancy, such as palpitations, shortness of breath with exertion, and occasional chest pain. A complete cardiovascular examination assists the healthcare team to fully assess and evaluate the pregnant woman with known heart disease. Detailed assessment of the woman throughout pregnancy may lead to initial discovery of heart disease. Compilation of these objective data with subjective functional capacities allows for risk stratification and assignment to a New York Heart Association functional classification.

Antibiotic prophylaxis for endocarditis: time to reconsider

Some cardiac conditions require antibiotic prophylaxis for some types of dental treatment to reduce the risk of infective endocarditis (IE). All medical and dental practitioners are familiar with this practice but tend to use different regimens in apparently similar circumstances. Generally, the trend has been to prescribe antibiotics if in doubt. This review explores the evidence for antibiotic prophylaxis to prevent IE: does it work and is it safe? The changing nature of IE, the role of bacteraemia of oral origin and the safety of antibiotics are also reviewed. Most developed countries have national guidelines and their points of similarity and difference are discussed. One can only agree with the authority who describes antibiotic guidelines for endocarditis as being 'like the Dead Sea Scrolls, they are fragmentary, imperfect, capable of various interpretations and (mainly) missing!' Clinical case-controlled studies show that the more widely antibiotics are used, the greater the risk of adverse reactions exceeding the risk of IE. However, the consensus is that antibiotic prophylaxis is mandatory for a small number of high-risk cardiac and high-risk dental procedures. There are a large number of low-risk cardiac and dental procedures in which the risk of adverse reactions to the antibiotics exceeds the risk of IE, where prophylaxis should not be provided. There is an intermediate group of cardiac and dental procedures for which careful individual evaluation should be made to determine whether IE or antibiotics pose the greater risk. These categories are presented. All medical and dental practitioners need to reconsider their approach in light of these current findings.