Knowledge and practices of pediatric cardiologists concerning the prevention of infective endocarditis of oral origin.

Knowledge and practices of pediatric cardiologists concerning the prevention of infective endocarditis of oral origin.
January-February 2008
Coutinho AC, Maia LC, Castro GF.
PubMed

This article sought to identify the knowledge and practices of pediatric cardiologists regarding infective endocarditis (IE), including preventive measures, recommendations offered to guardians, and the importance of antibiotic prophylaxis. Twenty pediatric cardiologists from a national reference hospital in cardiology (Brazil) participated in the study. The data were collected by means of a semi-structured interview. All participants considered oral health directly related to systemic health and 90% considered the mouth to be the main window of infection for IE. Fifteen cardiologists (75%) declared that they performed intraoral examinations at all appointments. Nine cardiologists (45%) recommended that patients undergo a dental examination only before catheterization and/or heart surgery. Twelve cardiologists (60%) offered some orientation on oral health during consultation. Only six of the cardiologists (30%) considered the periodic visit to the dentist to be an effective method of prevention. Although preventing IE of oral origin relies fundamentally on the work of dentists, cardiologists still do not do enough to better promote their patients' health.