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Penicillin treatment in oral surgery in patients with coagulation disorders

International Journal of Oral Surgery
|October 1, 1975
PubMed

Insights

Prophylactic antibiotic treatment may reduce postoperative bleeding in oral surgery patients with coagulation disorders. However, penicillin was not detected in saliva, suggesting bacteria do not cause bleeding via enzymes.

Area of Science:

  • Oral surgery
  • Coagulation disorders
  • Pharmacokinetics

Background:

  • Clinical observations suggest prophylactic antibiotics reduce postoperative bleeding in patients with coagulation disorders.
  • The mechanism behind this potential effect remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the effect of prophylactic phenoxymethylpenicillin on postoperative bleeding in oral surgery patients with coagulation disorders.
  • To determine penicillin concentrations in plasma and saliva and compare them to bacterial Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MICs).

Main Methods:

  • Phenoxymethylpenicillin plasma and saliva concentrations were measured in four patients with coagulation disorders undergoing oral surgery.
  • MIC values for penicillin against isolated oral bacteria were determined.
  • Bacterial fibrinolytic and plasminogen activator activity was assessed in vitro.

Main Results:

  • Penicillin plasma concentrations significantly exceeded MIC values for all isolated oral bacteria.
  • No penicillin activity was detected in mixed saliva or saliva from parotid and submandibular glands.
  • Isolated oral bacteria did not exhibit significant fibrinolytic or plasminogen activator activity in vitro.

Conclusions:

  • Prophylactic phenoxymethylpenicillin achieves adequate plasma concentrations to inhibit oral bacteria in patients with coagulation disorders.
  • The absence of penicillin in saliva suggests it does not act locally in the oral cavity.
  • Oral bacteria likely do not contribute to increased bleeding tendency in these patients through enzymatic activity.

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