Cor Vasa 2020, 62(1):56-59 | DOI: 10.33678/cor.2019.071

(Sanitation of dental foci before valve surgery)

Šimon Macháček^a, Adam Nocar^b, Markéta Dušková^b, Taťjana Dostálová^b

^a Kardiologická klinika, 2. lékařská fakulta Univerzity Karlovy a Fakultní nemocnice v Motole, Praha

^b Stomatologická klinika dětí a dospělých, 2. lékařská fakulta Univerzity Karlovy a Fakultní nemocnice v Motole, Praha

Patients after heart valve surgery or its prosthesis replacement are at an increased risk of developing infectious endocarditis (IE). Routinely performed prevention measures of IE include screening and eventual sanitation of potential sources of infection. Most common site of preventive sanitation procedures is an oral cavity. Even though sanitation of dental foci became a part of routine screening, there is a lack of data to support its benefits to the patients. This article summarizes published clinical trials on this topic. In cooperation with doctors from the Department of Stomatology, 2nd Faculty of Medicine of Charles University in Prague, a list of recommendations was prepared in order to rationalize prophylactic dental foci sanitation in patients undergoing heart valve surgery.

Keywords: Heart valve, Infectious focus, Infective endocarditis, Stomatology

Received: October 25, 2019; Revised: October 25, 2019; Accepted: November 2, 2019; Published: February 28, 2020  Show citation