[Prevention of bacterial endocarditis in heart patients during dental procedures]

Better understanding of the mechanisms of the development of subacute bacterial endocarditis following stomatological procedures in the patient with heart disease implies the more rational use of prophylactic measures. Preventive antibiotics, often given empirically, decrease the unavoidable bacteremia threshold and hence the threat of endocarditis. After reviewing the risks factors linked with the cardiac problem and with the stomatological procedure, the authors justify the choice of a simple prophylactic protocol, linked both to the microbial types encountered as well as to commonly used effective antibiotics.