Antibiotic prophylaxis for infective endocarditis

Dentists routinely treat patients who require antibiotic prophylaxis for infective endocarditis. In this article, the signs and symptoms of infective endocarditis as well as the hemodynamic events involved are discussed. Furthermore the rationale for the choice of antibiotic, the type of patient requiring prophylaxis, and the different regimes as recommended by the American Heart Association are presented.