Antimicrobial prophylaxis of infective endocarditis: effect of BSAC recommendations on compliance in general practice

General dental practitioners in the South West Region of the U.K. were surveyed to assess compliance with the recently published recommendations of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy on the antimicrobial prophylaxis of infective endocarditis. For the majority of dental patients, the level of prophylaxis had improved compared with previous reports: 75% of practitioners organized the prophylaxis themselves, 80% gave oral amoxycillin to penicillin non-allergic patients, and 86% gave erythromycin to penicillin-allergic patients. Some 51% complied to an acceptable level with recommended amoxycillin schedules but only 2% complied with erythromycin schedules. The BSAC recommended prophylactic regimens have certainly improved compliance although they are not yet universally accepted.