Antibiotic prophylaxis for dentoalveolar surgery: is it indicated?

Usually dentists in Australia give patients oral antibiotics after dentoalveolar surgery as a prophylaxis against wound infection. When this practice is compared to the principle of antibiotic prophylaxis in major surgery it is found to be at variance in a number of ways. In major surgery, the risk of infection should be high, and the consequences of infection severe or catastrophic, before antibiotic prophylaxis is ordered. If it is provided then a high dose of an appropriate spectrum antibiotic must be present in the blood prior to the first incision. Other factors which need to be considered are the degree of tissue trauma, the extent of host compromise, other medical comorbidities and length of hospitalization. Standardized protocols of administration have been determined and evaluated for most major surgical procedures. Dentoalveolar surgery is undoubtedly a skilled and technically challenging procedure. However, in contrast to major surgical procedures, it has a less than five per cent infection rate and rarely has severe adverse consequences. Dentoalveolar surgery should be of short duration with minimal tissue damage and performed in the dental chair under local anaesthesia. Controlled studies for both mandibular third molar surgery and placement of dental implants show little or no evidence of benefit from antibiotic prophylaxis and there is an adverse risk from the antibiotic. This review concludes that there is no case for antibiotic prophylaxis for most dentoalveolar surgery in fit patients. In the few cases where it can be considered, a single high pre-operative dose should be given.     

Effect of monthly prophylaxis on caries and gingivitis in schoolchildren

ABSTRACT The effect of professional prophylaxis given each month to individual children was investigated. A total of 225 schoolchildren, 10–12 years of age, participated during the experimental year. Each prophylactic session required about 15 min, and included tooth-brushing instructions, professional tooth cleansings and fluoride rinses. Significantly fewer new interproximal carious lesions were obtained in the experimental group compared with the control group. No differences were observed for occlusal, buccal or lingual surfaces. The frequency of gingivitis was significantly reduced during the year of trial in the experimental group. The efficacy of the preventive treatment was most noticeable in children with high caries experience. For clinical practice monthly prophylaxes could be recommended to the most susceptible individuals.     

A national audit of antibiotic prophylaxis in elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Introduction

Laparoscopic surgeons in Great Britain and Ireland were surveyed to assess their use of antibiotic prophylaxis in elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy. This followed a Cochrane review that found no evidence to support the use of antibiotic prophylaxis in routine cases.

Methods

Data were collected on routine use of antibiotics in elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy, and how that was influenced by factors such as bile spillage, patient co-morbidities and surgeons’ experience. An online questionnaire was sent to 450 laparoscopic surgeons in December 2011.

Results

Data were received from 111 surgeons (87 consultants) representing over 7,000 cases per year. In routine cases without bile spillage, 64% of respondents gave no antibiotics and 36% gave a single dose. In cases with bile spillage, 11% gave no antibiotics. However, 80% gave one dose and 7% gave three doses. Co-amoxiclav was used by 75% of surgeons. Surgeons are more likely to give antibiotics when patients have risk factors for infective endocarditis.

Conclusions

This study suggests over 20,000 doses of antibiotics and over £100,000 could be saved annually if surgeons modified their practice to follow current guidelines.     

An evaluation of prophylactic treatments to prevent post traumatic joint stiffness

Arthrofibrosis is a major obstacle to restoring joint function after trauma. The objective of this study was to evaluate montelukast, forskolin, and triamcinolone as possible means of prophylaxis against the formation of arthrofibrosis. Forty‐eight rats underwent surgical knee trauma with post‐operative immobilization in full flexion. The treatment groups were: control (CTL), oral montelukast (3.75 mg/kg/day) (MLK), intra‐articular forskolin injections (0.6 mg/kg) (FSK), and intra‐articular triamcinolone injections (0.68 mg/kg) (STR). Rats were sacrificed after 14 days and femorotibial contracture angles were measured with the posterior capsule intact and with the posterior capsule cut. A 0.015Nm extension moment was applied to the knee. All treatment groups had significant reductions in contracture angle compared to the control. Mean contractures with the posterior capsule intact were 32°(CTL), 20° (MLK), 22° (FSK), and 7° (STR). Contractures with the posterior capsule cut were 28° (CTL), 19° (MLK), 20° (FSK), and 5° (STR). The STR group was significantly better than FSK and MLK. Triamcinolone injections provided dramatic reductions in stiffness. Both forskolin and montelukast provided significant, though lesser, reductions in stiffness. While the triamcinolone contracture angles were significantly better, the novel treatments of forskolin and montelukast provided encouraging results and should be studied further. © 2014 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 32:1520–1524, 2014.     

Prevention of venous thromboembolism after acute ischemic stroke

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a common complication after acute ischemic stroke. When screened by 125I fibrinogen scanning or venography, the incidence of deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) in stroke patients is comparable with that seen in patients undergoing hip or knee replacement. Most stroke patients have multiple risk factors for VTE, like advanced age, low Barthel Index severity score or hemiplegia. As pulmonary embolism is a major cause of death after acute stroke, the prevention of this complication is of crucial importance. Prospective trials have shown that both unfractionated heparin (UFH) and low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) are effective in reducing DVT and pulmonary embolism in stroke patients. Current guidelines recommend the use of these agents in stroke patients with risk factors for VTE. Some clinicians are concerned that the rate of intracranial bleeding associated with thromboprophylaxis may outweigh the benefit of prevention of VTE. Low-dose LMWH and UFH seem, however, safe in stroke patients. Higher doses clearly increase the risk of cerebral bleeding and should be avoided for prophylactic use. Both aspirin and mechanical prophylaxis are suboptimal to prevent VTE. Graduated compression stockings should be reserved to patients with a clear contraindication to antithrombotic agents.     

Profilaxis antibiótica «dirigida» por cultivos rectales antes de la biopsia prostática transrectal: reducción de complicaciones infecciosas y costes de atención sanitaria

Background

Transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy (TUPB) is associated with infectious complications (ICs), which are related to a greater prevalence of ciprofloxacin-resistant bacteria (CRB) in rectal flora. We examined the ICs that occurred in 2 groups: A guided antibiotic prophylaxis (GP) group and an empiric prophylaxis (EP) group. We assessed the financial impact of GP.