Antibiotic prophylaxis in dentistry

Objective: Our Infection Control and Antibiotic Committee issued a recommendation in 2007 on prophylactic antibiotic use aiming to reinforce prophylactic antibiotic usage according to international guidelines at our clinic. The aim of this study was to determine whether antibiotic use is well documented by dentists and to reveal to what degree documentation meets professional standards. Invasive dentoalveolar surgical cases, which need antibiotic prophylaxis in the presence of risk factors, were investigated. Methods: Retrospective data collection has been done in the University of Szeged, Faculty of Dentistry, between August, 2007 and June, 2008. Invasive dentoalveolar surgical cases were included in the study. Paper-based and electronic documentation of patients who had undergone such procedures and subsequently admitted to the ward were reviewed. We examined the indications for antibiotic administration. Results: 150 patients were included in the study, 30 % of whom received antibiotics. The review showed that in several prophylactic cases datas were missing either about the dosage, the usage or about the type of antibiotics. Documentation about the presence of risk factors was also missing in several cases. Conclusion: Patient documentation considering indication of antibiotic use is incomplete. We propose the introduction of a complementary checklist, which would facilitate decision-making and would supplement patient documentation. In case of a legal procedure accurate documentation can be written evidence that patient care meets professional standards of infection control.