Dental care of patients susceptible to infective endocarditis

McGowan and Tuohy carried out a survey in Belfast in 1968 to identify patients with cardiac lesions susceptible to infective endocarditis. They also asked whether adequate precautions had been taken by the patients' medical and dental advisers in respect of antibiotic cover for dental surgical procedures. This survey has now been repeated in the Belfast and Glasgow Dental Schools. When compared with those of 1968, the results of these recent studies show that while more 'at risk' patients are receiving antibiotic cover for dental surgical procedures there is still room for improvement in the advice given to patients by medical and dental practitioners.